You're Warm
by CelestialSakuraa
Summary: Being the golden child, Lucy was dearly loved within her household. She enjoyed her childhood until everything suddenly took a downfall. Parentless with no childhood friends supporting her, she stood in the darkness alone, and was alone in the world that she grew up in. Natsu was once her prince, not until the very day he poured water over her after meeting again since so long.
1. Prologue

_You're Warm_

Standing under the dull pouring sky that clouded my sights of what's in front of me, I ignored the hushed whispers echoing around me as we mourned for the two adults lying on the ground.

It was my fault. If I didn't try running out onto the road to fetch my favourite sparkling yellow ball, they'd still be alive, standing in front of me with bright smiles.

But it was too late.

Wearing my black dress which stopped at my knees, my mother's gloves which she'd always loved, and my ribbon up in my hair bought by my father, I simply just stood there. Still and silent…

"They'll always be watching over you up in the heavens with smiles on their faces," a woman said, slowly turning me to look up to her face.

Just who does she think she was trying to making everything seem lighter?

This wasn't a place to joke around – How did she even know about that when she's not in their place yet?

"Thank you, but I'm fine…" I whispered back to her where she softly smiled at me.

An umbrella in her wrinkly hand, she tilted the thing to cover my soaked shivering body. "I hope you are, because everyone around you is worried," she replied.

Looking down to my mud-covered shoes, I sighed. "But the person who should be here isn't." I then excused myself and quickly walked away. I couldn't stand it.

I hated the lies. I hated those fake-assed expressions on their faces as the faked their tears. I hated everything.

Walking a far distance from my parent's burial, I squinted my honey-brown eyes to look at my blurred surroundings. When no one was there to see what I was about to do next, I cried.

I cried as I released out my burdening tears which struggled to get out of my system. These were the true tears of a child who'd lost her parents. The figures of which she'd thought to grow up with a bit more.

[_Was it all expected of me to be alone in this world..._]

"Mother… Father… Why did you leave me in this world?" I cried before a distant voice called out for my name.

"Lucy…"

Stopping my tears to only widen my eyes, I lifted up my head to see a faint figure of a boy in black clothes with pink hair sagged by the rain. "Natsu?" I whispered out.

Blinking a few times, I stared back to the empty space in front of me and felt my system going haywire.

"Was he really there just then?" I questioned.


	2. Friends or Foe

_You're Warm  
__Chapter 1: Friends or Foes_

* * *

It was a new term, and a new season. The trees were turning into vibrant colours of red, orange, yellow and brown. The air around us were crisp and fresh like opening a new bag of chips that you've been waiting for since you were younger.

This was a new beginning… A new beginning for our protagonist, Lucy Heartfilia, daughter of the high-class household of the Heartfilia family.

"You can do this. There's nothing to be afraid of," the blonde whispered as she clenched onto her bag straps tighter while students walked around her to enter the property of Fairy Tail Academy.

Nodding her head, she took in a deep breath. "I promised Levy-chan that I'll attend the school just for her," she whispered to her again, trying to motivate herself as she stood in front of the large iron gates where on top, a large sign saying its name stood proudly for the city of Crocus to see.

Everyone around her would often glance at her as they wondered why the new student was talking to herself, yet alone why she was just standing there awkwardly in front of the gates.

"I can do this. Unlike Genir High, Levy promised me that I'll be able to practise my magic much more here than there…" she told herself before raising her hands to slap herself on the cheeks.

"Yosh! Here I go," she cheered before feeling her emotions go soaring high as she took her first step into the property of her new school.  
'_Finally_,' the people around her thought as they sighed in relief, watching the blonde walk into their school with a smile on her face.

Lucy walking through the gates and down the grey stone pathway, she saw a familiar figure standing in front of the fountain where their insignia was the centrepiece. Walking closer, she forced herself to smile, feeling her nervousness taking over her hyped up emotions slowly.

Stopping in front of the petite blue-haired girl who was reading a book, Lucy quietly bent over to look at her friend closely.

Too engrossed with the book that she was reading, Lucy smiled, remembering how their friendship was always like this whenever they'd meet up at the local café. "Uhmm… Levy-chan?"

The girl named Levy, jumped in surprise as she almost dropped her book, catching it where she quickly pulled it to her chest in relief. Looking up, her eyes widened as she met familiar honey-brown orbs which were her best friend's.

"Lu-chan!" Levy squealed as she jumped forward, hugging the blonde whom she hadn't seen for so long. "I thought that you wouldn't come today!" she cried out before jokingly slapping Lucy who forced herself to laugh at her joke.

Levy noticing it, she stopped what she was doing to look at her friend questioningly. "Lu-chan… Is something the matter? If you're wondering about your classmates, you shouldn't be," she asked.

[_She's worried about me_...]

The blonde shaking her head, she looked around the vast space around them. "This school is humongous, and I thought Genir High was," she replied where her friend smiled.

"Well, you are right about that," Levy answered as she pulled a strand of her blue hair behind her ear. "We received a lot of sponsorships from our other school friends and with magic growing, most of us complete special requests to fundraise for our school," she then stated where Lucy nodded her head in awe.

"I suggest competing in the Celestial Summoning course for you Lu-chan. You'll have a broader view of your magic!"

Lucy shaking her head, she watched as her friend pouted to her denial. "Why?"  
Sighing, Lucy held her right arm with her other hand. "I don't think I can use magic anymore. A lot of things had happened over the past year…" she answered.

Her heart breaking as she recalled her parent's death, Levy could see the pain that her best friend had suffered after the tragedy. Shaking her head, Levy smiled. "But we're still here for you," she whispered.

Lucy snapping her head up to look at Levy with widened eyes, she tipped her head to the side. "_We're_?" she questioned.

Levy smiling, she skipped back and opened out her arms. "We as in Fairy Tail High and your childhood friend Natsu!" she cheered as Lucy gasped in horror.

"Did you say Natsu?" Lucy whispered, pulling Levy closer to her where they began to whisper, making everyone passing by send them weird looks over to their direction.

The blunette giving her a strange look, she innocently furrowed her brows. "Did something happen?" she inquired.

Lucy sighing for what seemed to be the hundredth time, she face-palmed. "He vanished from our sights when we were only in year five. I haven't seen him for almost six years – Nor have I been in contact with him. It's like he vanished into thin air!" she stated where Levy gasped in sudden realisation.

"But he's been attending this school since the start of it. He's one of the reasons to our school being the most successful in the country."

[_He's attending this very school_?]

"But –"

She groaned. "What's with the buts Levy-chan?" she complained where suddenly, squeals were heard behind the two of them. Turning, she widened her eyes to what's going on in front of them.

"That's what I was about to tell you. Ever since he lost contact with you, he suddenly became this… Unknown boy," Levy stated, glancing over to her best friend who was shivering in horror. Watching her flinch as the pinkette walked over towards them with girls following behind his friends, she jumped when she felt Lucy tug onto her white blouse.

"Lu-chan?"

"Just let me hold onto your shirt for a little bit," Lucy replied before her long lost childhood friend stopped in front of them.

Looking at him in the eye, she glanced around to the people surrounding him. Standing right beside him were Erza and Gray, the other two that vanished from her sights after her parent's death.

"Lucy?"

Widening her eyes, she dropped her stare and looked down to her black converse. "It's been a while Natsu…" she whispered where the boy looked at her with questioning eyes.

"Why are you here? Don't you go to some other fancy school?" the pink-haired boy questioned where he was slapped on the shoulder by Erza, the girl with long scarlet hair. "Is this how you talk to a girl that you've known since you were in nappies?" she questioned before a girl with long crimson hair nodded.

"I've heard stories about you two from Mira. You sho-" Before the long-haired beauties could even lecture Natsu about his wrongdoings everyone around them gasped as the echoes of water splashing to the ground was heard.

Lucy standing there in shock and humiliation, she hugged onto her body, completely forgetting that Levy was standing right next to her with a supporting hand on her shoulder. The blonde slowly lifting her head up to giving him a sad asking look, she slowly turned, remembering the horrid shock faces of the two girls standing beside him, grabbing onto his collar as their faces gradually turned red.

Turning completely to run away, Lucy paid no need to wait for Levy who cried out for her. "Lu-chan!" she yelled out.

"Natsu! You went too far with your pranks!" Levy cried out before running after her blonde-haired friend where the girl with long crimson hair sighed, tightening her hold on his collar.

"I've known you for ten years Natsu, and by far, this was one of the worst things that you've done to her from what I've heard from others. What would Igneel say if he'd seen you acting like this?!" she cried out, her fist raised where Gray, the raven, pulled her back.

"What would Lisanna say?!" the girl spat before yanking herself away from Gray. Snapping her fingers where her ruby-red studs began to glow, a blue magic circle opened up.

Water pouring onto the pinkette where the scarlet managed to back off in time, everyone began to tense up. "Go cool off your head. Ever since you heard of her transfer, you've changed!" she cried before walking over to the fountain edge where she picked up Levy's forgotten bag.

Without turning back, the crimson began to run after the two, using her enhanced nose to track down to two.

Natsu standing there with gritted teeth, his body began to burn up in flames. Balling his fists, he watched her retreating figure where his closest friends shook their heads. "Sakura has a point there. Natsu… You adored her when you were younger. We lost you for a year, and you pulled us away from her completely for a year!" Erza stated with a firm frown on her beautiful face.

Gray nodding, he looked over to the girls waiting for their attention and smiled. "I'm sorry girls, but if you would leave us alone for a while to sort out this issue," he said, his smile fake but convincing enough to fool the girls, they sighed when they all hesitantly leave the three behind with squeals following there retreating bodies.

Turning his attention back to the pinkette, he ran his hand through his hair. "You're never smiling Natsu. Just what are you hiding from us? This is messed up even for you," he questioned before pulling his silent friend towards the school building.

"Nevermind. Let's just get this school festival to drown us," he then sighed, turning to look at Erza who shrugged at him.

* * *

_I'm finally back! This time also on Wattpad. I go under the same name, and I hope to see you all here and over there~  
__Thank you for giving You're Warm a chance! Please follow, or favourite, and also review down below.  
__\- CelestialSakuraa_


	3. The Arising Conflict

_You're Warm_  
_Chapter 2: The Arising Conflict_

* * *

Standing behind the gym, Lucy panted and ripped herself away from her black jacket that she threw down to the floor. Hugging her shivering body to keep herself warm from the biting cold, she rested against the wall where she gave out a loud sigh of relief for her successful escape.

How could he do that to her? Is this how he'd treat his long disconnected friend from childhood?

Sighing again, she ran her fingers through her wet, tangled golden locks and looked down to her hand. "He didn't even give me a hug or anything like in the past - It's like, I'm unwanted here. Like I'm some type of alien while that girl was standing where I was supposed to be standing - Was I a replacement for her while she was away or something?" she told herself before she flinched, hearing approaching footsteps come to her little hide out.

"Who's there?!" she yelled, pushing herself off of the wall where she reached down to her silver bracelet resting on her wrist slowly with uncertainty written on her face.

It was now or never... She had to use her magic again someday. Her friends in the Celestial Realm were questioning her about her absence on calling for their services, but she would always avoid their questions - Maybe until today...

The blonde looking at the small gap of the alley that she'd just recently walked through to get her where she's standing now, Levy popped out from the side with a uncertain smile on her face. "I'm no threat Lu-chan," she whispered before another head popped out over her.

"And I'm not going to devour you or humiliate you like that bastard," the crimson smiled as she walked over Lucy who took a step back where she slammed herself into the wall.

"Woah there! I'm not someone who'd do that to any new student," Sakura stated before remembering something. Turning, she handed Levy her bag before turning back to examine Lucy's appearance.

Smiling, she leaned her weight back. "So this is the prestigious Lucy Heartfilia of the Heartfilia household," she muttered before frowning at Lucy's still-soaked body. "I thought that you're able to use Celestial Summoning magic? Creating heat from the stars should be enough to dry off your clothes..." she questioned where Lucy shook her head.

"You don't have to look after me. I'm fine like this," she replied bluntly where Levy frowned to her friend's rejection for help. "But Lu-chan."

"Levy-chan... You know my situation well enough to know."

Sakura sighing, she took a step back to create some space between them. "I guess I'm being a nuisance here?" she said where Levy snapped her head over to her.

"No, you're not Sakura-san!"

The blonde widening her eyes, she looked back to forth between the two who were exchanging a conversation through their eyes. Watching the crimson girl that might as well audition for a modelling agency, she watched her turn her full attention onto her.

"I won't do anything to make you feel insecure. We're just worried for your wellbeing Lucy. After what he's done, you're going to be in danger by the other girls and boys who follow him," Sakura stated.

"I just want to tell you that you're under threat of being bullied. I really want to help you Lucy, but I need to know your relationship with him," she then added before the warning bell alerted everyone that it's time to head to class.

Sighing, Sakura looked up to the sky before giving one last glance to the blonde. "Please... If you ever need our help, please tell us. Erza and Gray are worried about you; perhaps you should talk to them again."

"They don't care about me..."

"Lu-chan..."

"No. It's fine Levy-chan. I can tell her... There's something about her that makes me want to open up to her," Lucy replied, dropping her head to look down to the ground.

The crimson tipping her head to the side, she looked behind her to feel a presence watching them. Thinking that it was nothing, Sakura forced herself to ignore it and turned back to the silent blonde standing in front of her. "I don't want to force you into anything Lucy," she stated, her smile sad but earnest to her emotions.

Her smile so pure, Lucy wanted to pour her heart out to this stranger, but for some reason, she was struggling to reach out to someone so bright.

"Just... Just forget about my question. We should head to class now..." Sakura waved off where Levy nodded. "Yeah. We should," she replied, understanding Sakura's intentions of not wanting to pressure the blonde to seek for any providence from a stranger.

A red magical circle opening, highlighted in colours of orange and yellow, Lucy could feel her body growing warmer. Looking down to see her clothes quickly getting dried, she quickly lifted up her head and jogged after the crimson that disappeared. Standing outside, she saw Sakura's back.

"Don't think too much about it Lucy. I believe that everyone's stronger within the heart," she heard before Sakura's body vanish once again as she made a turn.

Standing by themselves behind the school's gym, Levy pulled Lucy into a warm embrace. "Don't worry about it Lu-chan. Sakura's known to be overprotective for the people of our school. Even though you just met her, she'll do everything to protect you," she reassured where Lucy widened her eyes in realisation.

"What does she mean "_Under threat_"?"

Tensing, Levy tightened her hug. The girl gritting her teeth, she pulled back to look at her best friend directly in the eyes. "Since Natsu is one of the most influential students within the student body, his actions to you will cause some future problems. Once he starts the bullying, everyone else will follow in pursuit," she explained.

Lucy stood there still for a moment. Her body reacting by itself, she twisted Levy around, making them switch places as she pulled her closely to her body.

The echoes of water splattering down to the ground, Lucy shivered in horror before the sounds of a chime breaking was heard. "Wind Arrow!" a voice of a girl cried out before sharp arrows made of wind went shooting towards Lucy.

"Lu-chan!" Levy screamed where she looked down to her ring that was shining. Her brows furrowed, she knew that her magic was incomplete. She needed time, and that time needed would be far too late for anything!

Listening to Lucy's grunts of pain as she continued to hold her tightly, protecting her using her body as a shield. She closed her eyes to reach down to her ring where suddenly, she felt Lucy's body move.

"I didn't want to use it but...If I have to force myself..."

The blonde shuffling to reach down to her bag, she pulled out her whip where she gripped onto its handle tightly.

"No one likes you here newbie!" the girl cried out before the sounds of growling was heard.

Arrows suddenly stopping where the echoes of shrieks were heard, Lucy turned her head around to find Sakura and Erza holding both girls by their collars. "Principal Makarov made it clear before did he not?" Sakura whispered.

Erza nodding, she adjusted her glasses with her free hand. "Bullying a nakama isn't acceptable within our academy," she stated before letting go of the girls' collar where Sakura did the same with a frown.

The girls scampering off to possibly gossip about what had just happened, Sakura glanced over to the scarlet worriedly before realising what she was doing.

Turning to look at Lucy, Erza sadly smiled. "I'm sorry for not being there for you. How are your parents Lucy?" she questioned.

Lucy and Levy tensing at the mention of the word "parents," they both turned their heads away sadly as they silently refused to provide an answer for her. Lucy looking back to her, she gave back an empty smile where the corner of her lips weren't reaching her eyes like when she was younger and smaller.

"They're fine... Just fine."

Widening her eyes, Erza gasped. "Lucy... Did something happen to your family?" she questioned again where Sakura stood awkwardly behind them since she didn't know what to do. She could sense their uneasiness as Lucy's body was shrouded in pain while Erza continued to ask questions which seemed to be affecting her.

The crimson giving out a fake cough, she snapped her fingers again where Lucy's body began to dry off. Looking away, her hair swaying along with her head, she excused herself politely. "I'm... going back to the classroom. I'll tell Cana-sensei that you're currently showing Lucy around," she quickly whispered before running away, her footsteps fading... And fading... where it simply just vanished from their ears.

It was the three of them now and Erza finally understood Sakura's intentions of running out of here. The air around the two girls were as thick as fog, meaning something had happened.

She was being pushed away from something. Something deep and very conflicting for Lucy to act this way...

Perhaps it was from the shock of her first encounter of being bullied without them being there for her - Or perhaps, it was from something else.

For all that she could see in front of her. A secret was being kept from her. Knowing Lucy, if she ever had a problem, she would be the one who'd she go running to.

Now... That small Lucy from the past was no longer there. In front of Erza stood a pale teenager that had concealed eye-bags under her eyes. Hair no longer bright like before.

What seemed to be Lucy was someone else...

"Are you hiding something from us?" she whispered.

Lucy shook her head. Her eyes dead and deceiving... "There's nothing I'd ever hide from you right?" she replied in a hushed tone where the wind around them began to pick up.

"I promised you didn't I Erza? If I ever go through something I don't like, I'd come to you first?"

The birds nearby seemed to be laughing down at the scarlet. As if they were laughing, saying that she deserved it after leaving the blonde all by herself without any of her childhood friends supporting her as she grew up.

Her body still, she could hear her blood madly pumping through her veins within her body. Her mind buzzing, she stared at the blonde in guilt. "I'm sorry," she whispered before hastily turning away to run.

What were the chances? The school's almighty Titania breaking down...

"Erza!" Levy cried out.

It was too late for apologies. Lucy made it clear once she looked at her with those emotionless eyes. There was no space for an apology to be made.

Sighing, Lucy looked down to her hands. Her whip was old and worn out, her other was hidden within her very room. Gritting her teeth, she threw down the old whip and took off her bracelet where the sound of glass breaking was heard.

"Lu-chan?"

The blonde looking at her friend, she forced herself to smile. "I'm going to that training room that you always go on about. You can head off without me," she replied as her belt popped around her waist with gold and silver keys chattering once it appeared hanging from it.

Turning, she began to storm off.

Why was she angry? She didn't know that herself...


	4. Who to Trust?

_You're Warm__  
_Chapter 3: Who to Trust?__

* * *

Homeroom was over, and students were flooding up every single hallway that Lucy walked through as they hastily made their way to their next class.  
Although that may have been the case, a few of them would glance up to our blonde as they curiously examined her attire. Honestly, you would've thought that was all it, but unfortunately for Lucy, a few of the girls would purposely push her with their shoulders.

Well – So far, their first impression for her was completely negative. If they didn't her, why didn't they just tell her straight up without having to do all of that pushing or shoving?

Sighing, Lucy shook her head and took a random turn to the left where the hallway had a small walkway to the next building.  
Not knowing what was over in the next building, she walked out to the concrete walkway and found herself looking out to a large dusty field where students were all quickly finding seats on the vast rows of silver spectator seats. Curious about what's going on, she walked out to see a lacrima screen portraying Sakura's identification photo and another student wearing a knight-looking helmet over their face.

From possible examinations, the name said it all. In flashy writing, it declared the battle between S-Class against A-Class, Sakura Miyasaki against Bickslow.

"What is going on?" Lucy whispered before one of her golden keys began to glow. "Seems like a mage battle," one of her spirits answered before it faded away, leaving the blonde no choice but to enter the fields where a very small old man stood in front of her.

"Ah. Lucy Heartfilia… I was beginning to wonder where you've been," he said, surprising the blonde for his small body, but overpowering presence.

Nodding, she forced herself to smile. "I came across some issues. Can I ask what's going on Mr…"  
The man noticing that she didn't know his name yet, he grinned as his dangly green hat flopped to his movement. "Master Makarov," he answered where she widened her eyes.

Quickly dropping her head in apology, she heard the small man in front of her chuckle. "Why don't worry child. There's no need to be all respectful to an old man like me. Besides, we're all family no?"

[_Family?..._] her mind rung as she slowly lifted up her head to frown to his words. "What do you mean family?" she questioned, this time out loud.

"Here in Fairy Tail Academy, we treat everyone here like a family… a nakama," he answered before shaking his head to warmly smile at her. "Your question about before; Here in Fairy Tail Academy, we settle our differences through actions. It never ends well if we try to be civil anyways – Education may be everything, but we're known to be the troublemakers anyways," he then added before Sakura came walking over to his direction.

"Ah, and here comes one of our fighters."

Stopping in front of them with a frown on her face, she nodded her head in acknowledgement to the blonde. "Master… I don't think I want to fight against one of the Thunder God Tribe. I didn't even know that a battle was planned!" she cried out where she pointed out to the chattering crowd of students.

"We never have peace in the school!" Throwing up her arms, she shook her head. "Erza said that we shouldn't be fighting since the school festival is almost here."

Lucy gapped at the crimson complaining to the school's principal. Just how did she manage to gather that much courage to complain to him?

"Nonsense child! Running away from a little fight won't make a difference," Master Makarov replied where Lucy widened her eyes. Turning her head to look at Sakura, she watched her face-palm in annoyance.

Her eyes slowly growing deep red, she sighed.

"I don't like doing this but since you refuse to stop the challenge, then fine. The quicker this finishes, the better."

She then began to walk through the semi-transparent dome where her name on the lacrima screen flashed brightly. The people around them cheering, Makarov smiled and turned his full attention back on the blonde.

"Are you going to fight as well?" he questioned, raising a brow where Lucy noticed that he was directing his question to her not being bounded by her bracelet.

Slipping the small thing on where it rested on her wrist, she held it up to him. "No sir," she replied.  
He then chuckled. "Alright. You can head over to the seating area and find a seat to watch the games. I have to go to the front where the other S-Class students are waiting. Have fun child, you shall soon see one of our top representatives fight for her pride," he said before walking away where the blonde nodded.

Lucy watching the man walk off into the distance, she looked back over her shoulder to find Natsu and his group of friends walking towards her direction. Not liking him getting near her since his influence over the school happens quick; she dropped her head and quickly walked over to the seats.  
Once she found an empty spot, she hastily sat and tried to ignore their stares. Sensing that they walked off to another direction, she sighed and looked up to the lacrima screen where Bickslow's name shone brightly, telling her that he had arrived onto the field.

"Ahem."

Everyone began to quiet down as Master Makarov appeared, standing on top of a floating platform with a stern-faced Erza and two others standing behind them. With amusement on his face, he began to talk once the entire area was silent.

"Today we have Sakura and Bickslow fighting it out to show their pride to the school. There's no arranged punishment for the losing side, and that has been determined by both fighters. Students who are betting, the betting pool has been closed," he announced as Sakura's and Bickslow's statistics flashed through the screens.

The old man nodding his head, a timer appeared where it began to countdown from 20 seconds. Students everywhere beginning to cheer out to their favourite fighters, Lucy was surprised to see that their reputation was overpowering.

"S-Class Crimson Dragon, Sakura Miyasaki – Engage," a robotic woman's voice announced where Sakura closed her eyes.  
"Awaken!" she cried out where she snapped her eyes open. A red magic circle opening by her ear, she flicked her long hair back where the magic circle followed her hand. Swinging her right arm to hold it in front of her, with her palm facing out, she closed her eyes where her hand slowly dropped straight where the circle came directly towards her.

As the circle passed through her body, her clothes began to change into a white and pink gradient kimono top with uneven leggings where combat boots completed her battle gear.  
Opening her eyes, she smiled and with the same hand, she placed it to her chest where she then slowly drew it back, a sword coming out in pursuit.

"A-Class member of Thunder God Tribe, Bickslow – Engage."  
"Let's party my babies!" the man cried out as his tongue opened up to reveal the school's insignia imprinted on it. A green magic circle opening in front of his visor, five tribal parts of a totem with faces painted on them came flying out from behind where they flew around in a circle, making his body glow bright white with a green hue.

With a menacing laugh fighting against the loud cheering, the light broke apart to reveal him standing there in dark clothing. A black shirt covered with a black cape where his trousers were held up by belt. Two gauntlets accommodating his outfit with his visor, he snickered as he crossed his arms mockingly.

"Both fighters have engaged. In three… two… one…" The sounds of a horn blowing, the cheering increased as both fighters went flying to each other.

Lucy slowly rising to her feet along with the other students, her body shivered as she watched Sakura dodge Bickslow's first move.

So this was the power of Fairy Tail… She thought that their reputation was as bad as a delinquent fighting off an entire school, but from what she's seeing; their name was far from different.  
Fighting for their pride to deliver their message to their opponent and having the many support of others pushing them on – It was completely different than how the people outside of their school was thinking…

Feeling an overwhelming power that this school should know everything about her, she bit her lower lip in frustration.  
Just who could she trust in this world? There was nothing to look forward to in the first place…

"This is stupid," she muttered before taking a turn to walk away. Balling her fists, she got off the benches and went straight into her classroom where a boy popped his head out of his book.

"Aren't you watching the fight?" the boy questioned as he placed down his book to adjust his scarf. Looking up, he tipped his head to the side. "Is something the matter?"

Lucy shaking her head, she dropped her bag onto a table and looked over to the blackboard that had a lacrima screen displaying the fight. Looking back to the boy that didn't seem to be their age, she raised a brow. "I did, but I wanted to check out the school without other students crowding the hallways," she replied where he nodded.

"Well, what do you think about it? My name is Romeo by the way."

"My name is Lucy. The school's quite adventurous?" she answered.

Romeo laughed. "I guess you can say that! Natsu-nii usually causes trouble to have a reason to fight, but this time, one of our ace's are doing the fighting," he stated.

"Natsu-nii?" Lucy whispered.

The boy nodded in respect. "Yep. Natsu-nii taught me to fight whenever one our friend's are hurt. Do you know him? He's one of the best here!" he answered with a big smile on his face before picking up his book.

"I'm doing my best to catch up to him to join Team Natsu," he then stated, holding it up where he showed a page out Purple Fire.  
Lucy nodding, she turned her head back to the screen and watched Bickslow punch Sakura straight in the jaw where she flipped herself to land on her feet.

Watching her spit out some blood, the fire around her began to increase in size. Sakura running up to Bickslow, she kicked him back in the jaw before hitting him behind the knees.

"This school is amazing don't you think?" Romeo whispered.

Gritting her teeth, she grabbed the edge of the table and gripped onto it tightly. "Every school seems amazing at first, but once you enter it, you're in another world where nothing seems to go right," she replied.

Romeo shook his head. "Maybe Natsu-nii will show you what we have to offer to our students once you meet him."

"No. That's where you're wrong."

Her eyes still on the screen, she watched the two fighters jump away from each other to create some distance. Sighing, she let go of the table and shook her head. "I'm going to head to the library to see what books they have over there. See you late Romeo," she said before picking up her bags, leaving Romeo alone in the classroom with no space for a reply.


	5. Infliction

_You're Warm_  
_Chapter 4: Infliction_

* * *

Running through the empty hallways with heavy pants echoing off from the walls, Lucy pleaded to herself not to remember the past which heavily burdened her life.  
She didn't need them. She didn't want to recall those "wonderful" memories when she was a young child, blessed by the stars above and the Celestial King himself.

There was no need for her in this world. They all made it clear. Since it was her fault to begin with, what else must she do in order for her existence to vanish into thin air?

She attempted suicide. Yes, those typical attempts which never happen to their despair.

All the time, whenever she'd even have a thought of ending her life to be with her parents, her maids and butlers would always run into the room to stop her.  
How did they even find out? None shall ever know the answer to that certain question.

But bolting through the hallways, she covered her ears with tears threatening to fall. She mustn't show them her weakened state.

If they were to see her in this state, then she'll be an easy prey to catch and harm.

That old Lucy Heartfilia was long gone from this world. She left this empty vessel to follow her parents up to the stars above. She left this body to forget about everything.

What now resides in this body was an empty, fragile girl. A stranger. A newcomer to the outside world…

"No… Please… Not now," she whispered as she came to an end of one of the school's hallways.

Looking up, she sighed in relief when she saw the large wooden board hanging on top of two wooden doors. Finally, she made it. She finally made it to the library!

_"__Hey Natsu!"_

Our blonde bit her lower lip as her mind started to recall those "warm" memories of her. She knew that having these flashbacks was normal for kids who were inflicted, but she didn't want to see herself as that wounded child.

She was insecure. Insecure about everything in her life…

Pushing the doors open where it slammed against the walls, she ran in and found a small corner surrounded by towering bookshelves. Sighing in relief, she quickly ran over there, ignoring the cheering from the students as the lacrima screen continued to do its job.

"I hate this," she whispered to herself before she finally gave up.

She then dropped to the floor and hugged her knees closely to her chest. A long sigh escaping her lips, her eyes began to grow dull as she allowed the painful memories to flash through her mind.

_"__Erza!" a younger version of Lucy cried out as she ran to the prideful scarlet that quickly turned to her call._

_Confused, Erza dropped the small dandelion from her small hand and stumbled a few steps back as Lucy slammed into her. "Lucy? What's wrong?" she questioned as the tiny blonde continue to cry in her arms._

_"__Natsu called me ugly!" Lucy answered as she pushed herself back to show her friend her light-pink dress that shimmered under the sun._

_With a pout, she pointed to her dress. "He called me ugly because I was wearing this! He said that he didn't want to protect me anymore!" she stated before more tears began to roll from her eyes._

_ "__Am I ugly Erza?"_

_Conflicted, Erza blinked a few times in disbelief. Who would say that to the innocent Lucy?_

_Of course it had to be Natsu. He'll always shoot her down whenever she'd ask him that one question, but, whenever he said that, he always had this conflicted look on his face.  
That may be it, but whatever he said this time must have made her cry like this. Besides, whenever he said no, Lucy would always force herself to smile as tears threatened to fall – But, they never fell._

_Sighing, she smiled at the blonde in front of her. "You're beautiful in that dress Lucy. Just like a princess," she answered where Lucy snapped her head up with shocked eyes._

_"__Really? Just like mother?" she questioned._

_Erza nodded before distant calls were heard from below the hill that they're on.  
"Erza! Lucy!"_

_The two girls looking to the right, they saw pink and raven hair spiking up from the grass before two young boys came running up to their direction.  
With big smiles on their faces they came closer and closer to the girls, Erza smiled as she came up with a smart plan._

_Pointing to Natsu she grinned. "You're in Natsu!" she bellowed before grabbing Lucy's hand. "Come on Lucy; let's show him how beautiful you are."_

"Just because we're weak, it doesn't mean that we're vulnerable to everything around us!" Sakura bellowed, snapping the blonde out of her trance.

Slowly pulling herself up, she listened to the argument being played out by the school's speakers. Leaving her little space, she followed the sound where she found herself standing in front of the lacrima screen with wide eyes.

In front of her, Sakura was hauled up by Bickslow who was surrounded with his totem dolls. Heavily bruised with blood running down from her forehead, she continued to yell at the man holding her.

"You cannot judge us by appearance or by personality. Our personalities are different to our hearts! We're all different, and our hearts are what depict our true image!" she cried out before lifting her leg where she kicked him away from her.

With a heavy pant, she pushed herself to stand tall. "You can call me stupid, but don't put down our family!" she then boomed before fire began to waltz around her.

"You all need to be strong like Laxus in order to tell me what to do," Bickslow grunted before he began to run towards her with the dolls aligning themselves into a V-formation which he used it like an arrow to push him further.

Sakura scowling, she jumped into the air with a smirk on her face. "I rival his strength!" she roared before flipping. "**_Fire Dragon's Roar!_**" she bellowed.

Slowly, Lucy took a step back. Her mind was repeating one sentence over and over again.

[_Our personalities are different to our hearts! We're all different, and our hearts are what depict our true image!_]

"What did she mean by that?" she whispered in questioned as her eyes remained planted to the screen in front of her.

Placing a hand on her heart, she felt it beating madly as the phrase played itself over and over again in her mind like a broken record.  
If she was weak on the outside, kind and believing on the inside, then what did her heart show to the world?

She shook her head. No. She couldn't trust these people. If they found out, then they'll bully her for being weak.

"I can't… I can't put my trust in anyone. Once they find out that I can't use my magic correctly, or that I'm weak, they'll shove me into a corner and use me… I can't let that happen," she whispered, not knowing that someone was listening in to her on the other side of the library door.

"Fuck," the person cursed. Balling their fists, they brought up their hand to run it through their hair.  
"I shouldn't have done that," they groaned before walking away in utter silence, frustration surrounding his body like a thick veil that no one should ever pull off.

[_"I really want to help you Lucy, but I need to know your relationship with him."_]

Widening her eyes, she turned to look at the door for a moment. She didn't know why, but she felt someone being there.

"I must be going insane," Lucy whispered before looking back to the lacrima screen.

The screen displaying Sakura as the victor, she couldn't hold back a sad smile. "I wish I could strong and brave like her… If I was Sakura, then I wouldn't need to hide behind anyone or anything," she wished before the same sentence reappeared in her head.

[_"I really want to help you Lucy, but I need to know your relationship with him."_]

Holding her breath, she watched Sakura run up to a small girl with a bright smile on her face. Jealous, she quickly looked away and frowned to herself.

"Could I really trust her?"

But what happens if everything backfires on her?

Her mind telling her that she shouldn't bring in strangers into her problems, her heart however, told her that Sakura would be an important person to place her trust on.  
If they become close, would Natsu take her away as well?

Like a battle raging inside of her body, her heart and mind fought for what's right. It was a close call, but Lucy wanted a change in her life.  
And as her heart fluttered to its victory, Lucy still believed that she shouldn't be pulling Sakura into her nightmare of a world.

She knew that if Sakura left her all alone, then that would mean that she's truly alone in the world with Levy not knowing the entire story…

Sighing, she walked out of the library to find the girl who's known as Sakura.


	6. Help

_You're Warm  
Chapter 5: Help_

* * *

Every single student flooded the hallways as they tried to find their correct classes for the current period, and much to Lucy's dismay, many of them would purposely push her into a wall or corner each time they had a chance. If they were children, yeah, it'll be funny, but now, it's stupid and aggravating.  
The poor blonde already being bullied on her first day, she silently endured it as she forced her way out of the long walkways to get out to the fields, hoping to find the crimson that she was looking for.

"Don't they have something better to do?" Lucy whispered to herself as she hugged her bag closer to her body.

Walking out of the hallway she sighed in relief. Thank goodness Fairy Tail wasn't all strict on attending classes, because if they were, then she would've been lectured by the principal for bludging.  
Even though the students here were rushing to class, the reason to it was due to them having one of the strictest teachers there are on the entire universe – And luckily for her, she didn't have any of the teachers that'll tear her body up for not attending.

"Now where is she?" she scowled, looking around where she spotted the fields again, this time widening her eyes as she noticed a familiar group standing in the middle.

The girl frowning, she walked over to realise that it was Natsu and the others chatting happily away with the crimson who smiled along with them.  
She noted how close they were, and once she was about to turn and leave, she caught the attention of the two who snapped their heads up to look at her.

"Lucy?" Sakura's voice called out, making the blonde flinch as she lifted up her head to meet eyes with three others.

Taking a step back, she tensed.

"Why does a blonde want to talk to a champ?" Natsu asked, purposely loud where Sakura turned to glare at him.  
Excusing herself, Sakura jogged over to her to worriedly stand in front of her with eyes shooting her silent questions. "Is something the matter?" she questioned where Lucy took another step back, dropping her head in shame to the girl's question.

"It's nothing."

"Nothing? Lucy, if you need to tell me something, I'm always here to listen," Sakura pleaded where out of nowhere, Lucy snapped her head up to look at her blankly.

"He's right. Why do I even want to talk to you?" she replied, instantly regretting it as Sakura's face slowly changed into a sad, rejected one.

"Stop talking to her Sakura! She's going to infect you stupi-"

Before Natsu could even finish that sentence, Sakura gave out a low growl and spun on her heels, throwing a ball of water over to his direction.  
Threateningly, it landed close to his feet where he took a step back in caution. "What the hell Sakura?!" he questioned where she gave a warning glare.

"Don't push it with me Natsu," she warned before turning back to Lucy with a huff. Grabbing her hand, she gently pulled her away from the field and somewhere else.

"Where are we going?" Lucy asked.

The crimson still pulling her along, turning at different corners, they finally made it the school's garden cultivated by a model, Mirajane Strauss. "Talk now Lucy. After fighting Bickslow, my patience is running low," Sakura deadpanned before letting go of her hand to walk over to sit in front of a garden table.

Lucy shuffling around for a moment, she sighed. It was now or never…

Walking over to Sakura, she took a seat in front of her and laced her fingers together uncomfortably. "I don't know how to start… Even Levy-chan knows hardly as much as what I'm going to tell you," she whispered, making the girl raise a brow.

"Is this about Natsu and the others?"

A flash of recognition going through her eyes, she pulled her lips back into a thin line and nodded. "I don't know what happened to make them dislike me," she whispered, looking down to her entwined fingers.

Sakura sighed and closed her eyes, enjoying the soft chirps from the birds dancing in the trees. Slowly opening her eyes, she softly smiled to the blonde, surprising her. "Go on Lucy. I won't turn my back on you," she said.

"H-How did you know that I'm afraid of that?" Lucy asked, looking at Sakura in curiosity.

Hearing the girl in front of her give out a quiet chuckle, she couldn't help but feel her heart tug to her gentle, harmless laughter. Just why does she feel at ease with her even though they're strangers?

"I can sense it radiating off of you. Now Lucy, what's the matter?"

She dropped her smile and dropped her head back down to the white, iron table. Clenching her fingers together, she forced herself to answer Sakura's question as calmly as possible.

"I can't use my magic as well as I used to. I also lost contact with Natsu for roughly six years, Erza and Gray following afterwards," she whispered, afraid to see to Sakura's facial expression.

Not looking at the girl, she could tell that Sakura's eyes were wide in shock – And she was right.

Sitting in front of her was a shocked Sakura looking at her with her mouth agape. "Lost contact… Six years? You lost contact with them for six years?" she questioned, slowly pulling herself up to sit straight.

Lucy nodded. "Well, Natsu for six years… Erza and Gray vanished, but they still remained in contact with me on the internet. After that, they stopped replying to me completely," she continued, looking up to then answer Sakura's silent question.

"They talked to me for a year, not knowing what had happened to Natsu. Afterwards, they simply just pushed me away. Me knowing this, I changed my number since my parents wanted to get a new internet plan," she answered before continuing her story.

"I was so alone… I was so close to them, and I didn't even know that you've known him before me. Everything about them seems so different now – I was alone in this world. No other friends, only Levy-chan, but she was overseas… She returned two years after not knowing everything until I broke down."

Taking in a deep, shaky breath, she glanced down to her shaking hand. "I broke down in front of her two years ago… When both of my parents died after a car incident."

"Lucy stop… That's enough."

"No it's not! Let me finish this! I want to trust you!" Lucy cried out before releasing her hands to look at her palm in pain.

"When I was in year nine, I dropped my prized possession when I was younger. It was my one of my most favourite toys during childhood, and I was playing with it with my parents relaxing on the front porch. I accidentally kicked it to the main road, and tried to run after it…" she explained, taking in deep breaths as tears rolled from her eyes down to her cheeks.

"Stupid of me not to check the roads like any other high schooler. Before I could even reach out for it, my parents pushed me away from the road to only die in a car accident. Heck, it began to rain at such a cliché moment too."

Pain stabbing her heart, she clenched her hands into a fist and held it close to her chest. "Why was I so childish to even cherish a bloody ball? What am I? Five?!" she screamed before Sakura ran over to pull her into a secure hug.

The girl kissing her forehead where she began to whisper soothing words into her ear, she began to tear up again.  
Was this some fake act like those adults who attended her parent's funeral that day?

"It's okay Lucy. You have us," Sakura whispered before she widened her eyes, pushing the crimson back who stared at her in horror.

"They're not here for me! They made it clear when I tried contacting them that night! They never replied, nor called! It's obvious that I'm a burden on them!" Lucy screamed where her bracelet broke just as her keys began to react to her emotions of anger and stress.

Sakura taking a step back, she looked at the keys. "You're wrong. You have us, and you have your spirits. They're always with you," she said before one of the golden keys shone brightly where a man in a suit pushed her down to the pebbled ground.

"What did you do to my princess?!" the man with orange hair roared as he held a brightly glowing fist up to the air.

Lucy taking in deep breaths, she watched one of her spirits accuse Sakura for making her feel like this. Walking over to Loke, the spirit of the lion, she placed a gentle hand his shoulder, making him look back to her.

"Lucy…" Loke whispered as he looked down to her hand that was gently pulling his hand from Sakura's clothes.

The crimson snarling, she kicked him away from her. "Get off of me!" she cried out before slowly pulling herself up to glare over to Loke with leering red eyes. "You dare to challenge a fight without consent within the school grounds?" she asked where Lucy stepped in between them.

"I'm not done with my story Sakura."

"You said that you couldn't use your magic as well as before. What's this with summoning a zodiac?"

"I can still summon, but not like as many or as long as before."

Sighing, Sakura's eyes slowly went back to her usual brown and quietly took a seat. "I thought you were going to use me against Natsu. I don't interfere with an argument between friends, but what he's doing is wrong and improper," she said where Lucy followed her, sliding back into her seat where she asked Loke politely to leave.

Loke hesitating for a moment, he sighed before excusing himself where Sakura smugly smirked at him, making the spirit tense up. "Loke…" Lucy warned.  
Sighing, he returned back to his world where Lucy continued her story knowing that the crimson wasn't about to speak in any moment.

"After my parent's funeral, I began to isolate myself for roughly two years. I only messaged Levy-chan once in a while to tell her that I was fine… The maids and butlers would always try to enter my room, but I always blocked it off, only having to eat a bit of food since they left it at my door," she continued.

"The lack of food and exercise must have affected my magic… Whenever I asked them to go buy me some food, I'd feel really tired once they return. It's the same as any other requests – I'm slowly getting weak…"

Sakura shook her head. "No one is weak."

"I am weak!"

Faintly smiling, she pointed down to Lucy's keys which were hanging proudly on her waist. "Anyone who holds that many keys aren't weak Lucy. I can sense your magic waiting to show itself to the world," Sakura said as she slowly stood up to hold out her hand in front of Lucy who was confused.

"I don't know their story, but I apologised for not knowing that all of this had happened without me knowing. I'll help you through this Lucy."

The blonde looking down, her bangs shadowed over her shocked eyes. Sakura easily accepted her story and didn't turn her back on her – But since she was Natsu's friend, wouldn't that mean that he'll take her away.

Closing her eyes, she slowly opened them to see nothing but black around her. The cold air around her biting into her delicate skin, she quickly hugged herself to keep in as much heat as possible.

Turning around, she saw a mirror cutting this unknown world in half, and curiously, she walked towards it. She couldn't speak in this world, and the negativity wafting around her was slowly making her mind go blank.  
Not knowing what it was, she slowly reached out to it to only see the mirror's reflection of herself slowly fading away where in front of her, was Sakura smiling at her with her hand touching hers on the other side.

"I'm here Lucy," she spoke, voice unable to penetrate through the glass where the blonde pulled back, slowly retreating somewhere in the shadows.

She didn't want to pull Sakura in this world… No… Not when she's affiliated with Natsu.

"Lucy!"

"You can't pull me out of this world… No one cares for me…" Lucy whispered before slapping away Sakura's hand where she stood up to only walk away.


	7. Sakura's Help

_You're Warm  
Chapter 6: Sakura's Support_

* * *

Standing there confused with her hand out to the retreating blonde, Sakura slowly pulled her open hand towards her chest with a frown on her face. After all of that, Lucy decided that it was best to run away from another person's acceptance to her story.

She knew that the blonde was indeed a powerful mage. Lucy was indeed powerful. Her bonds with her spirits were that strong for them to pass through the gates to protect her.

Sighing, the wind began to brush by her. With an elegant hand, she pulled her right bangs behind her shoulder.

"If she told me her story with that much insecurity, then she must have been through some traumatising things – Right?"

Her earrings glowing, she closed her eyes. Two cards, hidden under her outfit, began to brightly glow to her question where one of them began to communicate to her.  
"Yes Sakura-sama…" a voice replied before both cards stopped glowing, making the crimson smile.

Slowly opening her eyes, she looked up to the sky. "I want to help her by talking to Natsu and the others, but before when I asked them that, they denied it bluntly…" she whispered.

Picking up Lucy's scent, she sadly smiled. There should be no one in the world that has to suffer by themselves. Elite made it clear.

Once upon a time, Elite was one of the many existing types of elemental dragons wandering around on this globe. Due to their distinctive powers of gaining the knowledge and strengths of learning the other three main types of elements, they were threatened.  
She was killed when she was teaching the young Sakura. Only teaching her the basics of the four elements – Water dominating the other three due to it being Elite's main element to begin with.

Sakura knew Lucy's pain. She wanted to step into the spitfire, but Elite told her not to specifically enter a damaged relationship.

[_"You must never enter a foreign spitfire. Even with pure intentions, you'll always be hurt in the end. Just help on the outside, but never in the inside…"_] Elite's voice reminded her.

Running her fingers through her long hair, she frowned. "I don't want Lucy to go through this pain. Not when she could snap and hurt the people around her," she whispered, looking down to her shaking hands as her eyes began to shine brightly.

Her breath shaky, Sakura closed her eyes and shook her head. "No… I can't break my promise with him. I won't lose control again."

Heading straight to the school building, she walked through the hallways with a forced smile on her face.  
"No matter what, I'll put a smile onto her face," she said in determination.

Lucy on the other hand, walked to her classroom with tears threatening to fall in her eyes. Standing in an empty hallway, she stood in front of her English classroom and took in a deep breath.

"Calm down Lucy… Even if no one likes you other than possibly two students, don't show that you're weak," she whispered to herself.

Trying to calm down her raging nerves, she slid open the classroom door to stand in front of her teacher that had her purple hair tied up. "You must be Lucy – The new student," the teacher hummed as she turned to look at Lucy with a smile.

"You're late, but I'll leave it to that. I'm Miss Laki," she introduced before pointing over to the seat that was besides the window. "You can sit over there since every other seat is taken."

Lucy nodding, she looked over to where Miss Laki had placed her in and widened her eyes. No…

Sitting there behind her empty seat was Natsu Dragneel. To his right was Erza, and in front of her, right next to her empty seat as Gray.  
Taking in a deep breath, she whispered a thank you before apologising how late she was to class.

In fleeting steps, she quickly took her spot and pulled out her book that was given to her when she was about to go. Placing her bag down besides her table where she sat there stiffly, Laki decided that it was fair to punish the latecomer.

"Lucy, since you're late. Please turn to chapter four, page one hundred and thirty-seven and read the first passage," she instructed where Lucy widened her eyes.

"You got to be serious Miss! She's a stupid blonde – There's no way that she'll be able to read this book!" Natsu called out where the classroom began to laugh at her.

"That's right! She's a blonde! Aren't they stupid?" a girl with lavender hair mocked as she pulled out her lollypop to smirk over to Lucy's direction.

Everyone laughing, the blonde balled her fists before the sound of glass breaking was heard. The class hushing up, they all turned their shocked eyes over to the front door where a fist was seen through the broken window panel.

The door opening as the fist pulled back, Sakura was seen standing there. A sinister smile on her face, everyone shivered at her threatening expression before she faked a regretful gasp.  
"Oh my! I didn't mean that. I just slipped and needed something to catch me from falling. I hope that I didn't surprise you all," she apologised mockingly before Levy popped her head from behind the crimson.

"For your information, Lu-chan is smarter than majority of your class," she stated before pulling Sakura away from the doorframe, excusing themselves as they returned back to their classroom together.

The classroom silent, Laki faked a cough before forcing herself to smile. "Well then…" she muttered.  
Adjusting her glasses, she looked over to Lucy expectantly. "Please begin reading. I don't mind if you choose either side, whether it may be in English or in Japanese," she finished.

All eyes focusing on the blonde with a brow raised. Lucy felt someone kick the back of her chair. Knowing that it was Natsu trying to pressure her, she sighed and stood up from her seat.

Her hands holding the book where she flipped it to the page that they were on, she began to read.

"_Elizabeth held Klein close to her and gave out a sob that shattered his heart. She kept on whispering to his ear that an alpha shouldn't die on the battlefield. She told him that dying on the field was something that they all didn't want to see as they fought against the rogues.  
Everyone circled around them. The children, the mothers and their mates, the rogues that humbly stayed back knowing that they wanted to join the pack, the pack warriors – Everyone just simply stood there to watch the heartbreaking scene between their luna and alpha_," Lucy read, reading it in English where everyone froze to look back to their book before looking back to her in shock.

Natsu scoffing, he looked out of the window. Erza and Gray however, looked at her proudly.  
She was indeed smart. She was raised in a wealthy family that pressured her to study foreign language. Of course she'll be able to read in English fluently.

This was Lucy that they were targeting, but in this case, they were targeting a very fragile version of her. Knowing Sakura however, the two childhood friends knew that Sakura was on her side and not theirs now.

"That was beautiful Lucy. Now can you explain what's happening in the passage?" Laki questioned as she lifted her eyes from the book to look at her.

The blonde awkwardly nodding, she scanned through the passage again before looking back to Miss Laki with a faint smile. Better answer it before the class even bothers to bully her.

"The passage is about an alpha and his luna. I haven't read the book yet, but it seems that Klein, the alpha of his pack, has been injured on the battlefield to which he's dying. Elizabeth, the luna, is going through a lot as she pleads him to not give up to death.  
While this was happening, the people around them began to circle them, not knowing what to do," she answered where Laki hummed in appreciation.

Nodding her head, she allowed Lucy to sit down just as the bell rings. The blonde sighing in relief, she listened to Miss Laki's announcement of an essay being issued out soon.

The teacher then excusing the class, allowing them to pack up and leave, Lucy began to pack up where Sakura and Levy ran into their classroom with bright smiles on their faces.

"Let's go out and e-"

Lacrima screens began to pop out throughout the school, interrupting Levy's invitation.

Everyone murmuring about the new challenge beginning, Sakura groaned as she face-palmed. "Shit," she scowled as she poked through her fingers to read the lacrima screen in agitation.

In front of the classroom was an announcement for a fight. There on the screen was Team Natsu against Team Huen with their team member's faces were displayed.

"Just who wanted to challenge the archery team?" Sakura groaned where Lucy slowly stood up with a frown on her face. "Is this a usual occurrence?" Lucy questioned.

Levy chuckling, she nodded for the poor crimson who was scowling over to Natsu that was ignoring her complaints. "Sometimes our school sports team agitates a few of the students. Since sometimes the students are weaker than the teams, they often come to Team Natsu to request them to represent their frustrations. I guess, Sakura's team one of the most active ones to do these," she explained turning to watch Sakura cuss colourful words to the pinkette who leaned back on his chair.

"Though, Sakura is usually a solo mage. She often gets pulled into the team from time to time since she's close to them," she then added before the classroom erupted in laughter as Sakura kicked the back legs of Natsu's chair, making him fall back.

Turning back to Lucy, she grabbed her hand. "Come on Lu-chan, let's go and watch them at the front seats!" she grinned, pulling the blonde with her where Sakura snapped her head up to them.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Sakura cried out, running after them with Levy giggling out loud.

Not knowing that there was a group of people standing in front of the school gates, the group scoffed at the lacrima screen displaying Team Natsu and walked towards the school's front office.

"Juvia doesn't like this school one bit," a girl with wavy blue hair stated as she held her umbrella with a tight grip on it. Turning to the buff man that had piercings, she sighed. "Gajeel-kun… Why are we even here? Master won't appreciate this knowing that the Element 4 isn't here."

The man known as Gajeel gruffed to her discomfort knowing that he team was weak. "They're weak. They lost against Salamander while we were gone," he snarled where they opened the door to walk into the front office.


	8. Weak

_You're Warm_  
_Chapter 7: Weak_

* * *

The school booming in cheers and chants, Lucy and Levy sat in their seats as they watched the transitioning screens move from fighter to fighter. For some reason, the blonde was excited to watch the crimson fight again - But there was something wrong. Everyone could see it when all of the Dragon Slayers attending the school all tensed up as they looked around the area.

Even though there was nothing wrong around them, the air seemed to be biting into their skins, making a few rub their hands over their skin to keep in the warmth.

"Is it me, or do I feel like something's about to happen?" a student sitting beside Lucy asked as she snuggled into her scarf.

"I don't know... I just don't feel safe when Natsu and Sakura are whispering to each other over there seriously," another student whispered before a few more joined in with the conversation.

Lucy looking over to Sakura where she was looking over to her direction with a stern face rather than her usual joyful one, she began to wonder if Natsu had told her anything to make her hate her. Watching the crimson then force herself to smile, Lucy furrowed her eyes once she began to wave over to her direction before an arrow came flying to her direction.

The blonde getting up to cry out for her new friend just to warn her, Erza came appearing right behind Sakura. With a swift move, the scarlet reached out and caught the arrow, snapping it during the process.

Everyone quiet, five people began to walk onto the field. The speakers announcing their arrival, the school began to cheer for the fight that's about to commence.

"Ahem! Today's battle is a challenge to Team Natsu and Sakura by the school's Archery Team. Winners would gain the Archery Club's clubroom for a year whereas the losers would have to undergo Miss Laki's experiments during that year as well," Makarov's voice boomed through the speakers where everyone began to laugh out loud at the punishment for losing.

The old man sitting down with the S-Class students in front like usual, the countdown began to make itself known. Counting down from twenty, the computer began to speak.

"Team Natsu, Sakura Miyasaki – Engage."

"Requip!" Erza boomed, one of her earrings starting to glow where she was then found floating in the air. Her eyes closed, her clothes vanished just as her body was covered in a white glow. Spinning where her right hand touched the space beside her, she slowly dragged her arm downwards with rippling effects following.

Doing the same to her left, both hands were going back while she bent her back flexibly back as well. Going back up, a twinkling out was heard where she changed into one of her battle armors.

"Requip! Heaven's Wheel Armor!" she called out, hovering in the air as she slashed down her sword to display her determination on winning.

"Freeze!" Gray then... just simply ripped off his shirt where the girls all squealed for his exposure. Standing there with a smirk, Lucy's mouth simply dropped as Levy began to laugh at her best friend's reaction to Gray's... change of clothes.

"I'm all fired up!"

Natsu was then next. Instead of being like his old buddy Gray, his scarf began to glow brightly in orange. With flames flickering underneath his feet, it grew into a blazing inferno where it engulfed his body with a flick of his wrist.

The fire barely giving anyone an insight, it slowly distinguished with him standing there with his waistcoat and knee-length trousers.

"Awaken!" Sakura following afterwards, she transformed into her kimono top and uneven leggings.

"Team Huen – Engage."

"Slash through the winds!" the entire team of five cried out where the wind around them began to pick up. Almost similar to Natsu's transformation into his battle uniform, the five mages were engulfed by a strong twister of winds picking up around them.

In unison, the wind surrounding each mage was cut away by them. Standing there with cocky smirks on their faces, they stood there in black and white hakamas with archery bows in their hands.

Sakura smirking, she placed both hands on her chest. "If that's how you want to fight! We'll play along as well!" she yelled.

Closing her eyes, she took in deep breath while Gray when into stance. Slowly, her fingertips began to glow a faint yellow color; she then pulled away her hands from her chest where a weapon began to follow.

"Ice-Make..." Gray muttered under his breath. Slowly, his hands glowing where a magic circle opened, an ice bow was made in his hands.

"All fighters have engaged. In three... two... one..." The horn blasting through the speakers signaling the beginning of the fight, Gray immediately went into action.

"Ice-Make: Arrow!"

Not too far away from Gray's pace, Sakura also positioned her bow in front of her. Natsu and Erza both knowing that it wasn't safe to go in between where they'll be in range, they both waited for Gray and Sakura's signal as they were deflecting all the arrows being shot towards them.

Taking in a deep breath, Sakura drew back an invisible string on her bow and began to aim. Not all attacks had a name - Especially when you're wielding a weapon that's rarely used in battle.

A water arrow forming, she went on one knee while Gray continued to shoot an army of ice arrows over to the five that also continued their elemental assault towards them.

The crimson feeling a slight bit of pressure, she felt a firm hand on either side of her shoulders. Looking up to see Natsu and Erza nodding down to her, she softly smiled at them before turning back to their five opponents.

"I won't let Gray take all of the action," she told herself where her eyes began to glow red in mischief. Letting go of the string where the arrow began shooting towards the five, it quickly broke up into five separate arrows, directly hitting three arrows that were flying towards them.

The other two arrows cutting the sides of two of the archers where they dropped their bows, Sakura and Gray quickly tensed up their muscles. "Now!" they both cried out in unison before jumping high into the air in sync.

Lucy watching in awe, she couldn't help but feel jealous for Sakura's abilities to remain strong and confident in battle. Sighing, she looked down to her hands and couldn't shake of the uneasy feeling emitting from Team Natsu and Sakura.

It was like something was up. Like something was about to happen...

Shaking her head as she watched Natsu and Erza charge up with battle cried resounding through the dome, she couldn't help but fell the pride swelling up in her body. They were once her friends... They were the people that she once spent her life with until they suddenly left her all alone in this vast world.

She continued on watching. She ignored the girls screaming like hogs for their favorite boys fighting down below as they finished off their opponents with Erza man handling the two girls that were doing their utter best to distance themselves from her.

Sakura kicked the boy that she was against in the stomach before shooting three arrows behind the girls that were still backing off from Erza in caution. The girls squealing as they trampled their feet on the group to avoid being hit, Erza easily finished them by slamming their heads together.

"Wow..." Lucy whispered to herself.

Remember that bad feeling that was making everyone uncomfortable, well... Out of nowhere, one of the buildings exploded. Making everyone either scream or jolt from the sudden explosion, everyone turned their heads over to the smoking building where a large figure was seen walking over to their direction.

"Wendy! Lucy! Levy! Come over here right now!" Sakura's voice boomed through the loud murmurs of the students around them.

Lucy and Levy snapping their attention back down to Sakura who was running towards them, Levy screamed when an iron pole came ramming into Sakura's stomach. "Sakura!" she yelled out just as Gray came running up to the pole.

The raven-haired boy freezing the pole in attempts to break the metal, another pole came flying towards his direction.

"Gray!" Erza warned. Running in between where she crossed her swords in front of her, she managed to stop the pole from hurting her friends.

Even though they all thought that the person approaching them came alone, before they knew it, Lucy's body was caught by a large water orb made out of water which made her gasp. Wriggling around as she forced one of her closed eyes to open, she saw Sakura struggling to get up while keeping an eye on her.

The crimson taking a step forward, she winced and dropped on her knees. A small petite girl running over to her, Lucy felt relieved to know that the small girl was trying to heal her.

"Lu-chan!" Levy's voice called out to her. The water constricting her movements, the blonde forced herself to look down to the ground where her best friend was found calling out to her behind Team Natsu.

"Who's using Water Magic?!" Sakura's voice boomed as she looked around in panic. The person who jabbed her in the stomach was indeed smart and powerful. Due to his surprise attack, she could hardly breathe nor could she move without wincing from the impact.

Lucy whimpering before she ran out of breath, she gagged on the water, alarming Erza, Gray, Sakura and Levy who were watching below. Hearing Sakura's loud growls vibrating the water, she forced herself to look at Sakura in apology.

[_I'm so weak... I can't even protect myself – I'm so sorry for being weak..._] she thought to herself before she heard Sakura's next words.

"Use your magic Lucy!" she bellowed.

Her eyes widened. Sakura wanted her to use her magic to free herself? Surely Sakura wasn't in her right mind to ask her to use her weak-ass magic.

Although that may be the case, Sakura's eyes showed no other space for further arguments. Sighing, knowing that her friend was about to see herself failing in magic, she felt her accessory break to her wish for using magic.

Just of her pouch appeared by her side, she pulled out the only spirit available for situations like this. Pulling out a golden key, she painfully held it in front of her.

Forcing herself to speak, she summoned one of her most strongest spirit. "Open! Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!" she said where the gate opened with a chime.

To her call, her mermaid Celestial Spirit appeared with her urn. With a grunt of disapproval, she easily destroyed the orb with a swing of her urn where she disappeared just as Lucy dropped to the ground.

Sputtering and coughing out the water that she had swallowed during her imprisonment in the water, she heard two pairs of feet running over to her in hurry.

"Lucy?!" Sakura's voice questioned, gently patting her cheek where she slowly opened her mouth to see a small girl looking down to her in panic. "Uhm.. Uhh... Please let me heal you!" she cried out, bowing her head before quickly closing her eyes.

"Sky Dragon's Healing Spell..." the child chanted before Lucy could feel the pain slowly easing just as the cool wind kissed her skin.

Silently thanking the girl, Lucy looked over to Sakura that quickly ushered many students and the school's principal over to her direction. Seeing Levy kneel down to her in worry, she heard the other students scowling over to her for being so weak.

"No reckon Team Natsu hates her. She's weak!"

"She couldn't even protect herself..."

"Celestial Spirit Summoning magic? Isn't that pathetic to use others to fight for you?"

Well... There you have it. The results of using her magic in public. Of course Celestial Spirit Summoning was a weak type of magic when you can't even summon more than one spirit through their gate.

She knew it to even know that hardly anyone looks up to a Spirit Summoning user when they're present in public. No one cares about such things – They believe that the more you know, the stronger you are in battle.

"Fire Dragon's Embrace!" Sakura's voice interrupted, forming a warm orange dome around them in time as a whip made out of water came flying to their direction. The whip deflected, Lucy listened in to the relieved sighs that the students gave out.

Looking up to the small child, she flinched when the girl warmly smiled to her in reassurance. Her hands retreating from her body, she realized that the pain was no longer there. In curiosity, she moved around to only hear the girl giggle.

"Everything should be fine now. You should be able to move."

Slowly, Lucy awkwardly nodded before carefully sitting up. "Thank you so much... uhmm."

"My name is Wendy Marvel. I can't believe you use Celestial Summoning magic Lucy-san! That's so cool!" Wendy beamed innocently just as Lucy raised a confused brow to the child's happy mood.

"You know me?"

"Well... It's hard not to listen when –" An explosion interrupted her before screams and cries where heard in the distance. The girl forcing herself to smile and ignore Natsu's constant crying out of his spells, she continued. "- Everyone's been talking bad stuff about you..." she finished off before Sakura's dome nullified.

"Well... I need to heal Team Natsu. You know them... Reckless in everything they do," Wendy waved off before she stood up to brush the dirt off of her knees. Innocently smiling to Lucy, she bowed her head, "Nice meeting you Lucy-san! I hope that we'll be friends!"

Running off into the distance where Sakura ran over to Lucy, she examined her in concern. Having to see no injuries visible on the blonde's porcelain skin, she sighed in relief before pulling Levy and her into a hug.

"Thank goodness that you're both safe from them!" she said, relieved that her friends weren't hurt by the sudden attack.

The crimson pulling back, she smiled at Lucy. "See? You weren't weak at all. You were able to break away from that Water Lock and you're still standing in peace."

Lucy shook her head before looking over to the two students that were tied together by thick tree roots. They were the ones that happened to start all of this nonsense.

Not only did she happen to use her magic. The whole school now knew how weak she was compared to them.

She knew that she'll be alone even more now, considering how none of them even looked at her while they were cheering for Team Natsu's victory in both battles. Hugging herself, she bit her bottom lip. "Why couldn't I just die with them? Heck, for them even?"

[_The only reason that no one questioned your existence was because you were the daughter of the Heartfilia family..._] her mind answered before she felt daggers shooting into her back.

In silence, she slowly turned to only meet the glares given by the one and only... Natsu Dragneel.


	9. Regret

_You're Warm_  
_Chapter 8: Regret_

* * *

Everything was now under control, but he couldn't stop himself from balling his hands into tight fists as he stood there on the sidelines watching Sakura worriedly check up on the blonde who kept on reassuring the crimson that she was fine. He hated her fake smiles, her generosity and everything – He hated the fact that he's now going to see her almost every day of the week.

She shouldn't have gone to a school that was solely based on fighting and using magic. She was weak for all he cares, and every time he fought, he had to almost glance over to her direction to see what her reaction was.

He hated the fact that she wasn't watching his awesome moves. She only cared about Sakura – Well, it was self-explanatory – Obviously she wouldn't watch him since he was the one that had embarrassed her within the first day of her enrolment here.

Another fact; he hated her cluelessness. The fact that the Dragon Slayers had sensed intruders on their territory made his senses go wild as he secretly discussed it with Sakura who was also on alert while standing on the field.

If she got hurt, it would all be her fault – It had to be...

So why did watching the blonde struggle in the water hold pained his heart?

He didn't want to know the answer. Actually, for once, he actually did know the reason to why he was suffering while she was in pain.

Sakura told him his answer when they were younger. He told her all of his troubles since she had found her mate. She told him everything, and she listened to his worries, always telling him that everything would be fine once he has chosen to accept these things.

But he refused to give up everything. He didn't to bring Lucy into all of these issues, but look where she is now? After everything he's done to keep away these things, she's now standing there and within danger's grasps. He didn't want to see her cry, but now, having to stand there and listen to her hushed sobs made him even angrier.

In frustration, Natsu walked over to Lucy and Sakura and glared at the blonde who quickly looked away in an attempt to hide her tear-stricken face. Lucy obviously not wanting to show him her vulnerable side, what she heard from him made her heart shatter even more...

"You're so fucking weak. Why are you even here when you're summoning others to do the fighting for you? This school is for the strong, not for the weak," he questioned, ignoring Sakura's gasps where he was thrown into the air by her once anger settled into her system.

Lucy snapping her head up to look at him, she widened her eyes when she saw his heated glare and slowly took a step back. Shaking her head, she forced herself to question him. "What have I done to make you hate me so much?" she whispered before turning her body to run away where she didn't stop to Sakura's call.

She hated to act weak, but that's who she was. She couldn't change herself even she wanted to do so. Never once had she hated her mother's magic until this very moment – And never before, had she felt this useless in her life.

As she continued on running, Sakura furiously slammed him down into the ground in sheer force. "Why are you being so fucking stupid?!" she cried out as she balled her hands into tight fists. "No one is weak once they gain the abilities to use magic! Tell me Natsu, why are you being so cruel to people like her?!" she questioned before her shoulders slumped down in defeat.

"Why did you take away all of her happiness? Is this because of Lisanna?" she whispered before dropping down to her knees where her kimono sleeves fluttered down to the ground. Tears making its way down to her cheeks, she forced herself to remain positive. "Please..." she pleaded as she looked at Natsu's eyes in defeat.

"Don't make her experience what we're going through... She's not like us Natsu, and I can't stand it when you're hurting yourself even more."

Slowly pulling herself up, she turned her back to him. "You do know that I won't be able to protect hers once this month passes. There's only roughly four weeks left till I leave for the tournament with Takuto, and knowing how much influence you have over the school, she'll be even more conflicted than before until you make up," she said before walking away, her clothes changing back into her casual wear where Natsu pulled himself up to run his fingers through his hair.

She didn't need to tell him all of this - Of course he knew that his actions are making her cry even more than before. The only reason why he had to do this was because he wasn't the same as he was before...

So in frustration, he slammed his fist down into the ground and gritted his teeth. He had to forget about her before she found out.

xxxxx

_Sorry for the short update and the long revival of You're Warm. I think I have a solid plan about how this book is going to work out, so I thank you all for being supportive enough to wait this long! Just to let you all know, chapter 2 was missing, so please go back to it and see what you've missed._

\- CelestialSakuraa


	10. Who's a Babe?

_You're Warm_  
_Chapter 9: Who's a Babe?_

* * *

Running down the hallways where she covered her mouth with tears trailing her every step, Lucy bumped into a person who yelled for her attention as she continued running off without a single word following her. There wasn't a need for her turn around and apologise - It was rude of her to continue jetting off down the hallway sprinkled with students, but she didn't want to stop just to face off someone who would unknowingly hate her.

Levy-chan was a liar. She had told her that the school was entirely bully-free, but that shit was nonsense considering how she's being treated now.

As she continue to run, she made a sharp turn to the left where she ran pass Levy who dropped her pamphlets to watch the blonde continue off running. "Lu-chan!" she called out where she watched the gradually downsizing Lucy suddenly disappear from her sights.

Levy frowning, she looked down to the floor with a sigh. Something must had happened since she was running off like that with a heartbreaking expression on her face. "Levy-chan, do you need any help?" a fellow student questioned as she jogged up to the blunette with a worried expression.

The girl snapping out of it, she forced herself to smile as she went down to her knees to pick up the pieces of paper. "Ah, yes please. Thank you," she replied as she watched the girl go down to the floor to help her pick up her scattered pieces of paper which she gathered to show the blonde.

Glancing over her shoulder again, she shook her head. "Lu-chan... Please be okay," she whispered to herself where the girl looked up to her with a confused face.

"Did you say something Levy-chan?" she questioned.

Levy smiled before shaking her head. "No, no. Let's hurry before sensei scolds us," she lied as she continued to collect her pamphlets for her friend.

As she did so, Lucy managed to find her way out of the maze known to others as a school. With heavy pants, she placed her hands onto her knees and looked back to watch the students chatter happily as they walked through the hallways and corridors of the second and third building of the school.

Wiping away her tears, she pulled herself straight and hastily walked out of the school's property where her keys clattered to her actions. "Stop it. I don't need you guys to be constantly watching over my back," she said harshly as she continued to walk down the path where her keys slowly stopped as they clearly listened to her scolding.

The blonde taking in a deep breath, she glanced down to her keys and sighed. She didn't mean to say that to her friends, but Natsu's words to her really cut her deep down in her heart. She adored the blushing Natsu, the one that would always hide behind his scarf when he was feeling embarrassed - Not the one in the present today.

Today was her first day attending the school, and she pretty much ditched it within four hours. She was able to meet her childhood friends, and she even made a new friend that didn't mind her weakness. The blonde knew that she should be happy about this, but the fact that the school was under Natsu's control was unsettling to her stomach.

Walking and making a turn where she entered the town square, she kept her down as she continued to gaze upon the concrete tiles which gave the people a sense of direction. She hated herself for having to run, but she had no other choice since she wasn't used that negative exposure that she was going through.

That amount of bullying wasn't something she'd appreciated. The intensity of their heated glares made her body run cold, and she now understood the reason to their high ranks within the school leader boards of the city.

Still in her own world, she walked into a wall which made her stumble back a bit with a small pout on her face. "Ouch," she whispered, placing a hand on top of her forehead where she rubbed it gently to soothe the tinge of pain which happened to make her forehead slightly pink.

"Watch where you're going blondie," a voice said, making her freeze as she slowly looked up.

From an assumed wall to an exposed stomach, her eyes slowly made its way up to meet the eyes of the person who she had happened to crash into. Her face paling, she took a step back in caution. "I'm sorry. That was my fault," she apologised.

The boy with blonde hair smirked in triumph. "That's right. It was your fault - But you being a babe, I'll forgive you unless you -"

A cold breeze made the boy stop himself from talking. His eyes, and his friend's made their way over the female blonde in front of them and stopped once they met eyes with a familiar glowing red.

Their blood running cold, they watched the crimson girl force herself to smile nicely towards their direction which didn't look too friendly to them. "I'm sorry... I didn't catch that. Who's a babe?" Sakura asked as Lucy turned to inwardly sigh in relief for being saved.

The boy took a step back. "Oh. It's you, Sakura. Ahas... How's it going?" the male blonde asked as he gave out an awkward chuckle.

Behind him with his usual emotionless face, the blonde's friend tried to remain calm. "Sting. Told you she wasn't a normal girl," he stated before watching his friend jerk in shock as the crimson raised a brow.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't just finish our fight from before?" Sakura questioned.

Sting, the blonde, regaining his composure after hearing the word fight, smirked. "Because we'll settle it once the tournament begins," he replied where Lucy confusingly looked at the two of them.

"Are you two dating?" she questioned where the two's faces paled at the mere thought of them dating.

Sakura looking at her friend in horror, Sting looked back to his friend in disgust as he thought about them being all lovey-dovey.

"Are you kidding me Lucy? Why would I date my own cousin?" she questioned before pointing over to Sting who cocked his head away from her point. "I would rather die than to date her," he stated before the boy behind his scoffed.

"More like be skinned alive by her actual boyfriend," he said through a faked cough which made him blush. "Me die from Takuto? Sure. I made him bow on his knees once," Sting said where this time, Sakura was the one who scoffed just as Lucy silently apologised for asking such a thing.

Sakura waving a hand in front of her face, she crossed her arms. "Please. It only happened because you wanted to restore your pride by kneeling him where the sun doesn't shine," she said before the air around them grew suffocating. Glaring over to her cousin, she watched him shiver. "That I must act upon for doing so," she dead-panned.

Lucy smiled and shook her head. Placing a hand on her friend's shoulder, Sakura turned to look at her in confusion which made her giggle for a bit. "Care to introduce me?" she asked.

With a nod, the crimson took a side step to reveal Lucy to her two cousins which attended one of the top schools in the city. "Guys, this is my friend Lucy," she began where Lucy nodded her head in greeting to the two boys, not noticing how the male blonde blushed to her calm composure.

Lifting her head up, she cutely tipped her head to the side as she waited for Sakura's continuation. "Lucy, these two idiots are my cousins. The stupid one who can't seem to keep his mouth closed for a minute is Sting. The other one who's like a shadow, well, maybe he is one, is Rogue," she finished where Sting raised a brow to her.

"Who did you say couldn't keep their mouth shut?" he questioned, leering over to Sakura who feigned her innocence. "I don't know, the bumble bee who's now speaking in front of me?" she replied.

Sting popping a vein, he raised a fist where he suddenly stopped to look at the blonde who had her eyes widened in shock. His face gradually growing red, Rogue and Sakura smirked to each other in amusement. "Oh..." they whispered to themselves as they watched the boy in front of them slowly pull down his arm to settle it besides his waist.

"Uhm. If I may... What school do you both attend?" Lucy asked.

"We both go to Sabertooth, but after one of our tournaments which caused a lot of trouble, our student president and her dad both ran away... So we're not really attending school," Rogue answered where Lucy covered her mouth to hide her surprised gasp. "Then you're Fairy Tail's greatest enemy," she whispered in reply.

The crimson sighing as she smiled, she placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "We used to, but after learning the truth that they're not necessarily bad, we learnt to accept their faults. Since there's no principal or any anything due to Jiemma's belief of him creating the most powerful school, the school had to be closed down temporarily..." she stated where Lucy looked at them apologetically.

"Why won't you join Fairy Tail Academy?" Lucy asked where the three all widened their eyes.

Sting jumping back to cover half of his face with his arm, he looked at her as if she was crazy. "Us joining the fairies? I'm sorry, but you're crazy," he said before he looked at Rogue. "Right Rogue?" he pressured where the boy with dark hair shrugged his shoulders.

"As long as I get to feed Frosch, I don't really care," he mumbled where Sting face-palmed. Looking over to Sakura, he gave her a pointed look. "Your school always goes into useless fights right? I prefer to have my school life annoyance-free alright?" he asked.

Lucy looking at Sting and then over to Sakura, she gave her a confused look. "Maybe Sabertooth students aren't like what the rumors are?" she said where Sting blushed.

"D-Don't go saying that we're good students! We just don't like using our magic over pointless things!" he cried out where Sakura examined him with a sly grin.

"Lucy... You're absolutely right. My poor cousins just can't walk around these streets like delinquents. Besides, they'll be a good asset to the school," she replied before clapping her hands together with a fake smile.

"Besides, love is in the air!" she grinned before gently pulling the female blonde along with her. "Come now! We must hurry back before Master gets angry at us~"


	11. Don't Be a Bully

_You're Warm_

_Chapter 10: Don't be a Bully_

* * *

Lucy ended up attending the rest of her classes with caution running through her system. Her eyes always on a constant look out as she sat in her classes, she learnt from Sakura that the students here would always get themselves into trouble whenever they were fed up with their boring classes.

Fairy Tail Academy was indeed a family-like school, but at times, they could be a pain according by the crimson that happened to always be there for her...

Oh! Sakura ended up dragging Sting and Rogue along with them to school as well - Which, for your information, wasn't a sight to see when everyone was pointing to their direction in question as they muttered under their breaths why they were here and not somewhere else. Within a day, Lucy ended up learning more than what she had expected, and she knew that it could become worse if she was caught by herself in a secluded area in the school.

Walking home with a sigh trailing behind her, she managed to convince her servants not to pick her up in an extravagant car and allowed her to walk home by herself. Since today was her first day, she really didn't want to give everyone the image of her being a spoilt little brat who couldn't stop showing off what she owned and whatnot.

So groggily walking home to her large mansion, she quietly avoided her servants that waited for her arrival and hurriedly walked upstairs and into her room.  
"Lucy-sama... Aren't you going to have a light snack before you rest?" a maid questioned as she knocked on her large oak doors.

The blonde silently slipping off her shirt where she changed into a large, over-sized t-shirt, she slipped off the other constricting clothes on her body and tiredly changed before she jumped onto her large bed. Ignoring the loud knocks coming from the maid outside, she sighed and adjusted her body into a more comfortable position which was on her side.

"Why can't they just shut up for once? They don't really care about me - They're all about the money and not for my well-being," she whispered before sighing in relief just as the knocking stopped. "See... All for the money," she told herself as she looked to the glowing curtain.

With her windows closed and covered by a thick material which was her curtain, Lucy was satisfied at the fact that she was able to shut out the world from her own. In this pitch-black world of hers, she didn't have to care about her appearance nor did she have to worry about the people around her that would always give her fake sympathetic looks.

In this world of hers, she didn't have to constantly look over her shoulder in hopes that her childhood friends would come running to her with smiles on their faces - She didn't need them. This world of hers didn't need those liars entering her comfortable space.

She thought that they'll be friends forever, but look at them. The mighty Erza breaking down after apologizing - Well that's weird because Erza never apologizes over her actions unless it to someone with a higher authority than her - Having the scarlet apologize over something that's completely unknown to her was strange.

Lucy didn't need that. She didn't need fake apologies.

"Going back to a new school is stupid. I don't need to force my world to match theirs... I'm just there for Levy-chan. That's right, I'm only there to make her happy and no one else," she whispered before flipping herself to lay down on her back where she gripped into her soft blanket.

"The question is... Why was he there, and why was he being so cruel to me when I haven't done anything mean to him in the past?" she whispered to herself before closing her eyes.

If only she didn't exist in this world of theirs. If only she could lock herself up in this little world of hers where she didn't need to worry about anything that would hurt her physically or mentally.

She didn't need him. She didn't need Natsu - He left her, and it was time to leave him behind...

Her mind entering this little world of hers, she opened her eyes to find herself standing in a world that's nothing but black and white - Monochrome. Skipping to a small table that stood under the spotlight with her bare feet, she spun on her heel and sat down on the chair with a smile plastered on her face. "There's no need for people. I don't need them," she hummed as she innocently kicked her feet into the air.

An intruder entering her mind, she snapped her head to the left to see a white figure waving in front of her before it stuck out its rude finger over to her direction.

"Slut!"

"Ugly!"

"Cheater!"

"Loner!"

Out of no where, voices began to intrude her world where Lucy abruptly stood up, knocking her seat off from the ground where it shattered into the air like glass. Taking a few steps back where she shook her head, she quickly covered her ears as she tried to force herself not to listen to the echoing insults being thrown at her by these unknown people. "You're all lying! You shouldn't be in this world of mine!" she cried out as she snapped her eyes open to glare at them.

"You only know how to look after your egoistic selves! You don't care about anyone else!" she yelled before a dark purple mist was released from her body where it slowly condensed and shaped itself above her.

The blonde glaring at the laughing figures which danced around her in a mocking manner, tears began to form as she tried her best to retort and fight back. "You're all liars! Go away! I don't want to listen to your insults!" she then screamed before her eyes glazed over just as the forming figure hovering behind her finally materialized into a solid human figure.

Its hand raised up into the black sky, it opened its hand where a large black scythe formed to its command. Without having to say anything or make a noise, it swung back its weapon and with one single swipe, it sliced away every intruder in Lucy's world.

With a scream escaping through Lucy's pale lips, the purple figure vanished, and dropping to her knees, Lucy cried to herself as a light appeared over her like a spotlight of a live classical drama.

"I hate them..." she whispered over and over again.

"If only they didn't exist - If only I didn't exist... I wanted a place to hide and seek refuge, and look what happened! They entered my world to only continue to haunt me!" she cried out as the purple figure hiding in the shadows smirked to her dark emotions.

It needed more energy. It was thirsty for more anger... It wanted to be free, but it had to wait until it was time. So watching over the blonde as she pulled herself from the ground weakly, it created a white haven for the blonde to drag herself into and wickedly smiled as it eyed her jumping onto a soft bed made out of clouds...

"I want to live here forever..." Lucy muttered under her breath before closing her eyes to fall into a comfortable sleep where the figure watched over her without her even knowing that it existed.

While Lucy was resting up in her room, Sakura entered her home before giving out a long tiring sigh. "The new girl with relations to Natsu... This is going to be some hectic roller coaster ride before I leave for the tournament... But hopefully by then, their relationship would be much better than it is now," she said to herself before picking up her light-pink cat from the floor.

Sting and Rogue entering her home as she slipped off her shoes carefully without dropping her cat, they all walked into the living room where Sakura entwined her fingers together while taking a seat on the lounge. "Now... I have a very special job for you two while you're attending our school," she said in a business-like tone as she watched the two take their seats in front of her.

The male blonde scratching his head, he yawned. "Why would you ask us for a favour? What's going on?" he asked.

Sakura sighing, she then tiredly smirked over to his direction. "Oh dear cousin... Did you think that I didn't notice those glances that you've been secretly giving to my new dearest friend?" she taunted while watching his expressions twist into embarrassment. "Protect Lucy from the school, that's all I ask until I return from the tournament. Don't let them get close to her, that's all I'm asking you to do for me as a family member," she instructed where Rogue raised a brow to her.

"Why are you overprotective about her?" he asked.

The crimson pushing herself back against the leather, she petted her cat to calm down her nervousness. "She's coming... Don't tell me you can't sense it from her," she replied where Rogue furrowed his brows before realizing what his cousin had meant.

"What's going on? I don't get it," Sting stated.

"You continue what you've been doing... Rogue, I want you keep out a special eye on her when I'm away," Sakura continued.

"That bitch will come once she hears about Lucy's attendance to Fairy Tail Academy... Do not let her hurt Lucy," she said under her breath, knowing that both males in front of her could hear her as clear as day.


	12. You're not King

_You're Warm  
_

_Chapter 11: You're not King_

* * *

"Lucy-sama... It's time for you to wake up now," a voice called out as the sounds of fingers making contact with the wooden door was heard.

The blonde groaning, she slowly opened her eyes to mutter incoherent words under her breath. Her body curled like a cat as her blanket draped around her waist, she slowly got up once she heard the footsteps of the maid walking away. Her hair in a total mess, she sighed before kicking her legs over the edge of her bed.

"I don't really want to go to school today..." she whispered as she stood up. Nodding to her decision, she walked over to the door and opened it only to see another maid walking up to her direction.

"Lucy-sama, would you like your breakfast inside of your room or outside in the dining room?" the maid questioned as she placed her hands neatly on top of each other before resting them in front of her.

Wincing at the word "dining room," Lucy took a step back into her room and shook her head. "I won't be going to school today. Please leave my breakfast at my door," she said before pulling her body back into her dark room where she then closed the door without another word trailing behind.

Lucy walking over to her bed, she sat on the soft mattress and looked in front of her. A vanity mirror placed right in front of her, she remained in the same position as she gazed into it to find a girl that wasn't as bright as before.

If only she died with them... Then she would've escaped from the world. Perhaps this was God trying to tell me to grow up?

Oh trust her words, she did grow up. After that funeral which she hated oh-so much, she went home and popped that ball that she grew up with and watched it burn in the fireplace. She should've grown up then. If only she could repeat time and make more adult-like decisions rather than a child's.

That ball that was once precious to her heart was no more - Precious memories? More like now-corrupted ones.

Sighing, she shook her head and walked over to the corner of her room, ignoring the tickling sensation of her feet now contacting her woolen rug. Her back resting against a possible twenty of pillows scattered around, she sat there quietly as she watched the passing shadows seen through the small gap left from the door.

Her eyes watching a tray being placed down in front of her door, she listened to the soft knocks before the sounds of feet made its way away from her room.

"I should fire these people... But then again, I hardly know how to look after myself because of them," she said before pulling her body up.

While Lucy was slowly forcing herself to eat her breakfast; Natsu, Erza and Gray remained seated at the fountain as they looked out to the gates. Their eyes looking for a certain someone, they saw a familiar crimson-haired student walk in only to have a surge of expectations that the certain someone would be with them - Only to find that Sakura walked in with their school's enemies, they sighed through their noses and stood up to meet their friend.

"Tell me why there are Sabers in our school?" Gray questioned as he slipped his hands into his pockets. Erza nodding, her earrings began to glow which was a warning sign that she was about to use magic.

Sakura forcing herself to smile, her earrings began to glow as well. "I told you three before... They're my cousins. If you hurt my family, I won't go easy on you," she replied before looking at Erza's earrings where its glow began to fade away. Sighing, she took a step to the side and smiled. "Meet Fairy Tail's newest students - Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney," she introduced before skipping to her friends where she opened her mouth to introduce them back to her cousins.

"And this is -"

"You don't need to make this all fun and games Sakura. They should know us well enough," Natsu interrupted making Sakura frown to his annoyed attitude so early in the morning.

The crimsons shaking her head, she began to walk off with Sting and Rogue following her behind. "Hai, hai - Don't go getting your dragon tail in a twist," she retorted over her shoulder to which Gray raised a brow to. "I think she's giving you the shit for treating Lucy so harshly man," he said to which he kicked the small rocks in mere boredom.

"To be honest, I really want to hang out with her like we did when we were younger. What's stopping you honestly?" Gray continued.

With Erza nodding, she then placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder and gently shook him. "That day you returned home soaked... Igneel and Sakura were so worried for you - Out of all times when he told you to pick up Sakura from the airport with him, you vanished! You were meeting your distant cousin Natsu," she whispered before feeling his shoulder trying to shrug her hand off of him.

Her hand slipping off of him, she shook her head in displeasure of his silence. "Sakura's already been traumatized by the past. She was lucky that her mate was nearby to calm her down," she stated before realizing something. "Lisanna said that you guys were mates... What happened?"

Natsu clicking his tongue, he pivoted his feet to walk off towards the school's building. Ignoring Erza's question, he gritted his teeth as he tried to forget about the past. The past which only made him regret what he's done to Igneel and bring Sakura into a world that's filled with unfulfilled promises...

While walking into the main school building, his phone vibrated to which he unlocked it to find something unsettling. "_Can't want to see you~ Li-sa-nna_," the text read, making him sigh in agitation for her perfect timing. As much as his hidden intentions were; how could he prevent a situation from happening?

Not knowing what to reply her back with, he simply locked his screen and shoved his phone back into his pocket where he began to head class.

Today he didn't see her, and today, Fairy Tail Academy gained 2 new students...

Just what was Makarov thinking about when he approved of Sting and Rogue's enrollment so quickly? Was it because of the fact that two of his top students were going to a tournament and weren't going to be attending here for three weeks?

Unknown to everything, Erza and Gray simply shrugged their shoulders. It seemed like Lucy wasn't going to be here today, so they might as well head off to class instead of thinking of a way to talk to her like back in the days. Their minds now on auto as they walked into the buildings, they were oblivious at the fact that everyone was watching each other warily as if something was bound to happen somewhere in the future.

"They didn't come into the building at the same time like usual... Are they having a fight?" the students whispered.


	13. The Opponent

_You're Warm_

_Chapter 12: The Opponent_

* * *

A month happened to already passed and Sakura worriedly looked over her shoulder as the people around her unknowingly brushed against her. There were people everywhere and their scents were getting in the way of her trying to find a certain blonde that happened to cut all contacts with everyone for the past four weeks. Sighing as her long hair, split into two, fluttered along with the wind, she had no other choice but to turn her face to the decorated gates and continued to hold up the sign where her class was holding a magical maid and butler cafe.

Not knowing that watching her back was the person that she was looking for, Sakura continued her job as Lucy silently brushed by her and quickly headed into the school building.

She ignored everyone's curious glances. For someone like her to suddenly appear after her four week disappearance, they all looked over to her direction as they talked about her cowardice out loud with an obvious purpose. For them, cowardice was something that showed weakness, and Fairy Tail didn't have that type of image - So for them, they didn't acknowledge the blonde's enrollment to their school.

If Natsu didn't like her, then they wouldn't like her too.

The girl sighing as she walked passed the many decorated classrooms, she couldn't help but bite the inside of her cheek as she thought about it.

Just why was she even here?

Well maybe it's because Levy couldn't stop messaging her, asking what's wrong and why wasn't she at school while giving her details to Sakura who tried to find her and speak to her...

Sighing as she shook her head, she decided to enjoy her day at the school's festival just to forget about all of those pathetic thoughts that she was getting. Continuing her walk around the school hallways, her shoulder brushed passed a white-girl's shoulder, making both girls stop to turn to each other surprised. "I'm sorry, I should have watched where I was going," Lucy apologised as she apologetically tipped her head to the side.

The white-haired girl looking as if she was forcing herself to smile, she shook her head. "It's alright. The hallways are usually this crowded whether it's on a normal school day or not," she replied before bowing her head. "I have to go and meet up with my boyfriend, so I'm going to go now," she said before jogging off into the distance in a cutesy manner.

Lucy standing there to watch the stranger go, she winced when a student from her school elbowed her into her waist. "Oops! I'm sincerely sorry for my rude behaviour miss. I just couldn't see where I was carrying this heavy box and accidentally ran into you. Miss, I'm so sorry!" the girl said, her voice high and suspicious as she held the box in one arm to only cover her mouth as if she was sorry.

Her lips in a pout as she furrowed her brows acting like a pure maiden, a few of the boys jogged over to her and lifted the box out of her hands where she cutely sighed. "Why thank you boys," she chuckled before the one holding the box took a few steps where he crashed into Lucy.

Almost falling over, someone caught her waist and the girl gasped in horror. "How sly of you to flirt with someone's mate!" she soon cried out where Lucy widened her eyes.

Everyone looking over to see what was going on, Lucy quickly pushed herself away from the person who'd caught her and shook her head. "He pushed me into them. I wasn't trying to do anything though!" she exclaimed as she tried to make eye contact with someone who was caring enough to argue as her defense.

The sound of someone clearing their throat from behind the blonde, everyone stopped their murmuring to look at the boy with sapphire hair. Eyes that held no emotion as he blinked to the girl who's causing such a ruckus, he slipped his hands into his pockets and sighed tiredly. "You can't call it flirting when it relates to someone being pushed into the opposite sex. I caught her from falling; which you guys were purposely trying to make her do," he stated bluntly.

"I just accidentally crashed into her. It wasn't even a strong push!" the boy argued where the blue-haired person shrugged. "I don't care whether it was strong or not. I've been around enough people to know when it's on purpose or not - If you want to settle your case, do you want to challenge me?" he asked where the air around them began growing cold.

The boy clicking his tongue, he looked away. "She's just an outcast anyway. Why even bother talking to her when Natsu and everyone else hates her?" he said under his breath.

"Does it look like I even care about what that kid has to say?" the blue-haired boy questioned.

"If you didn't meet her, you wouldn't be helping this blonde!" This time the girl spoke up and suddenly the blue-haired boy appeared right in front of her.

"If you didn't listen and follow his actions, maybe you all would've liked her," he growled before walking around her. Stopping a few steps away, he turned to look over to Lucy. "Are you going to stand there?" he asked.

Lucy snapping out of her state, she quickly shook her head before jogging after him. To think that he would help her even though he doesn't know who she is... Not only that but it seems like he knew Natsu considering how he mocked him without a care in the world.

"Uhm... Thank you," she whispered where he looked down at her with a raised brow. Looking at his eyes, she noticed how his eyes seemed a lot softer than how they were before. Watching him nod, they began to walk, leaving the people behind, without turning back.

"You didn't have to help me. What happens if they attack you?"

The boy kept his head straight as they walked down the decorated hallways. With a comfortable silence, he answered her questioned with amusement evident in his voice. "They wouldn't attack someone that's above them in strength and magic. Besides, if my girlfriend was there, she would've done the same thing," he said where an announcement was soon heard booming through the school's speakers.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to our school's annual festival. Today we have something really exciting to show you all... Two of our top students; Sakura Miyasaki and Erza Scarlet, will be performing their magic over at the main stage located at the playing fields. If you are interested on watching their opening acts, please head over to our playing field right now," Makarov's voice notified.

Lucy slightly curious about what may be on show, she noticed that the boy that happened to help her had vanished while she was looking out of the window as she listened to Makarov's announcement. Looking around to find him no where in sight, she shrugged her shoulders and hurriedly made her way to where Sakura and Erza's performance would be held.

Within minutes, she found herself standing on the third storey floor of a building that was the closest to the playing field. Standing in front of an open window, she leaned out in excitement as Erza began to requip into an armor.

"Requip! Heaven's Wheel Armor!" she boomed in a loud and confident voice where Lucy couldn't help but to admire the scarlet who was so knightly and intelligent.

Erza doing an elegant dance where her blades moved along to the direction of her hands, she suddenly grabbed two of her swords and slashed the air where everyone all clapped in amazement. Her movements were graceful, completely opposite to when she's dealing with the boys who'd often fight to show their strength.

The blonde not knowing that she was smiling as Erza changed into her many different armors, she just couldn't help but think back to the past where everything was just so perfect compared to now. She wanted to relive her pure and innocent childhood, but time didn't seem to agree with her thoughts since it continued to tick away within second. She couldn't stop time, even if she had the power to, she knew that everything happened for a reason - Her parent's death however... God she was just too foolish to be messing against the hands of life.

Her mind snapping out of it as the audience below her clapped and cheered, she shook her head to find out that Erza finished her performance. Students all gathering at the side of the stage, a water orb began to form right over the stage in the dead centre of it as well.

Curious about what's going on, Lucy spotted that short white-haired girl standing right in front of the stage with her back facing to her. Having a strange feeling that she knew the girl before they met here, she decided to ignore the thought for a moment as she applauded Sakura's entrance onto the stage with a smile on her face.

She was already in her fighting clothes since her class was doing a magical cafe. Watching the girl jump into the water sphere made by the students of the school, she waved to everyone in the audience happily before she began to do a series of tricks using Water and Air/Sky Dragon Slaying magic which seemed to show which element was her strongest.

Learning that Sakura was originally a Water Dragon Slayer, Lucy found out that she was beginning to grow some fondness on the girl on stage. "I wish I could be her," she said to herself before suddenly Sakura stopped moving in the water to only look out into the distance where the echoes of a gun shot was heard.

Everyone screaming in shock as a few covered their ears and ducked, Lucy stood implanted in her spot as she watched Sakura's eyes roll back along with her body bending backwards. Watching her body slowly sink as thin red ribbons of blood danced from the open wound, she covered her mouth in horror. "Sakura!" Lucy cried out before another gun shot was heard again.

This time it was louder and as if watching her parents die right in front of her all over again, like in slow motion, she watched yet again, another bullet enter into her friend's body. That's right... Friend.

"Sakura!"

She forced herself to remain standing and as if her eyes were drawn to him, she looked over to the owner of the voice to only find Natsu running to her with the blue-haired boy from earlier. She could see Sakura forcing herself to talk, she didn't know what Sakura was saying. All she knew was that whatever the girl was saying, she was beyond pissed.


	14. Hate

_You're Warm_

_Chapter 13: Hate_

* * *

"Sakura!"

Making his way over to the girl that was like a little siste r to him, Natsu pushed his body forward as he dove for the crimson that was almost reaching to the wooden flooring. Catching her barely on time, he sighed in relief. "Fuck!" a familiar voice growled, making him turn to meet Takuto, Sakura's boyfriend.

"I fucking... Told you... That she's a bitch," Sakura scowled as she forced herself to speak.

Natsu feeling her body heating up, he knew that her injuries were causing her body temperature to increase. "You can't say that. You don't even know if it was her," he whispered, knowing all too well who this "she" Sakura was talking about.

Hearing her scoff where she then hissed to the injuries as her boyfriend froze the injuries to stop the bleeding, he knew that she had more things to say.

"You try to... Make her sound bloody innocent all the time. I fucking saw her smile at me before the bullets were shot," she argued. "I mean, I get the whole wow factor of seeing magic that's rare, but smiling at me as if - Enough Takuto - something amazing is about to happen... Isn't something normal."

He sighed and shook his head as he handed her over to her boyfriend. "I know you hate her but this is has to stop. She's my mate you know," he reasoned where Sakura's eyes widened along with Takuto's.

They were acting as if he was from another planet or something!

"Are you being serious?!" Sakura screamed before tears rolled down her eyes. She was annoyed and frustrated alright.

"You're overreacting. You're injured!" he said where he watched Sakura's body quiver as her eyes pierced him with burning hatred.

He surely made her angry this time. Unlike before she would slap him and walk away to calm herself... It actually looked like she was going to explode like a volcano like her meltdown when she was younger.

Tears rolling down, Takuto tensed and glared over to him who raised both hands in surrender. He knew the reason to their anger but he was just pretending not to know. He couldn't involve them into his issues... No.

"Mates? You chose mates over family? She tried to kill me and you don't believe me even with two bullets inside of me?" she whispered.

"For goodness sake Sakura. I know her. I just talked to her while on my shift..." he replied where Takuto's eyes hardened even more.

With one final sob slipping through her lips, she placed her head onto Takuto's chest and gritted her teeth. "I tried to remain positive and unaffected by everything, but it looks like I lost to her..." she whispered before Takuto began to walk away without another word, possibly to go and search for Wendy.

Watching the couple's figure make a dash to seek for medical attention, Natsu sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Natsu!" another familiar voice cried out. With his head turning to meet Lisanna, he forced himself to smile. "Did you get hurt?" he asked where the girl then smirked at him.

"You belong to me. I told you before didn't I?" she whispered into his ear, ignoring Makarov's announcement.

His breathing hitched as he nodded. He didn't know why he was so afraid of her since she was weaker than him in both strength and magic. Perhaps the reason why was due to her threat.

He couldn't let her touch them... He had to protect them since Igneel wasn't here anymore to protect them from harm's way.

"She actually noticed them hiding within the school. What a smart girl... Hey Natsu, why is she still here?" she continued making him look down to her as she slipped her arms around his shoulders. "I thought you told me that you stopped seeing her. Why did I bump into her in the hallway?" she asked, digging her nails into his skin where he looked at her in the eyes.

"She just enrolled here. She's an... Outcast and no one cares for her," he replied where Lisanna giggled.

"Are you sure my dear? That's not what I've heard from my sources."

He raised a brow. "Sources?" he questioned where she then nodded, playing with her short white-hair. "They told me that Erza and Gray wanted to make up with her... Sakura apparently adores the girl as her big sister too... I'm your mate, not her," she whispered before pulling away.

"I want her gone from my eyesight. If I hear that -"

"You. Bitch." A voice interrupted.

Their heads turning, Natsu widened his eyes as standing right in front of him were Erza and Gray with anger evident in their eyes. "You're threatening him?" Erza questioned as she pointed over to Lisanna with questioning eyes.

Lisanna cowering into Natsu, she bit the bottom of her lips. "Natsu... Why is she pointing at me and saying such a thing?" she asked, clinging onto his casual outfit.

"She's just angry that they didn't catch the shooter that hit Sakura," he cooed before hugging her as an attempt to calm her down. "Erza, you're being crazy," he said where the scarlet pulled her hand back in shock.

The scarlet looked at him with an open mouth. "She didn't even flinch to the gun sounds Natsu. She was smiling when Sakura was sinking," she stated before Lisanna gasped and sobbed in his chest where his mind wanted nothing but to push her away from his body.

"Stop lying Erza. Come on, we're not kids anymore," he then joked where Gray sighed out loud which made them all look at him.

The raven opening his mouth as he was about to speak, Levy came running to them with heavy pants. "There you guys were! It's Lucy - She's been transported to the hospital!" she cried out as she rested her hands on her knees to catch her breath.


	15. Liar

_You're Warm_

_Chapter 14: Liars_

* * *

"What do you mean by that?" Erza questioned as she and Gray snapped their heads to Levy's direction where she took in a deep breath.

Levy's eyes glancing over to Lisanna's deathly glare, she sighed and looked back to the two that seemed sincerely concerned for the blonde's health. "She collapsed after having a panic attack. Thankfully Sting and Rogue were able to find her straight away," she informed before looking over her shoulder. "They both left with her to the hospital," she added on.

Gray and Erza looking at each other, they jogged over to the Levy and grabbed her arms where they sprinted off into a run. Leaving behind a gaping Natsu, he took a step forward where Lisanna wrapped her arms around his left. "If you go to her, I'll make your cat die next," she threatened where he looked down to her.

"You raised him with me..." he stated where she pouted.

"You're my mate, and we'll fulfill our promise soon," she whispered.

His eyes widening, he looked out to the direction where the three had ran off to and silently cursed under his breath and he forced himself to smile down to the girl clinging on his arm. "Alright. Soon we'll get married," he said where Lisanna smiled at him.

"Now that's the cute Natsu I know of," she chimed before pointing out to a certain direction. "Now let's go on a date! We haven't been doing that since a long time ago!" she beamed.

As she pulled him somewhere, Sakura was gritting her teeth as Takuto took her to the same hospital that Lucy was admitted into. The girl scrunching her nose, she furrowed her brows as she inhaled the nasty smell of medicine and blood. "Remind me why I hate this place," she groaned as he walked through the corridors where the nurse had directed him to go.

Takuto opening his mouth, she shushed him. "Nevermind. This was the place where all hell went lose with my family," she said, answering her own question as they looked at the room that had the number thirty-six on the door.

The boy walking in, he gently placed his mate on the bed where she whimpered. "This hurts. I can't use my magic to heal the wounds," she complained before looking into his blue eyes that she loves so much.

"Go and find Lucy... Protect her while I rest."

He looked at her as if she was going insane. "You're hurt," he deadpanned where she rolled her eyes. "Go Takuto. If that bitch dares to touch a strand of her hair... She's going to get killed by my own hands," she snarled to which he sighed and complied to.

Kissing her forehead, he have her a smile before leaving. Sakura gritting her teeth, she patiently waited until the doctors came to pull out the bullets that were embedded inside of her body. "Great. Two bloody scars. Just what I needed before I leave for the tournament," she said before covering her eyes with her arm.

"I can smell Lucy here. Let's just hope that she's not injured."

With Takuto walking around to find the certain blonde that he roughly knows of, Lucy remained in her bed as she rested. Her body not moving like how she'd wished it to, all she could do now was lay on this uncomfortable bed as if she was dead.

As she laid there, she couldn't stop herself from blaming her weakness. To think that she'd collapse after witnessing something such as that - Then, images of her parent's bloody corpses appeared in her mind.

The blood. The eyes that pierced into her soul. The limp bodies that were in strange positions. Her parent's body there on the road with a large puddle of crimson blood underneath them.

Snapping her eyes open, she let out a horrid scream. And so, her little state of coma was broken as she sat up to cover her ears. "I should've died! Not them!" she yelled where nurses and doctors came running into her room to pin her down onto the bed as she flailed around.

"They can't be dead! They're just playing games with the little old me! Give me back my parents! Give me back my life!" she cried out as Takuto came storming in along with Levy, Gray and Erza.

"Let me die instead of them!" she continued where Takuto and Gray came up to the blonde to hold her down in replacement for the hospital staff.

With the blonde screaming, she shook her head as she tried to kick her legs up into the air where it only made them get pinned down as well. "Get the needles! We need to calm her down!" a doctor barked where the nurse scurried out of the room.

Her emotions soaring high, her screams could be heard through Sakura's enhanced hearing in which the crimson cringed to. The situation was getting worse, and the doctors were now wrapping her up as she sat there listening to Lucy's scream of pain and sadness. "Hurry doc. I need to get there before something happens," she rushed where the doctor glanced up to her before going back to his job.

"Miss Miyasaki... Can you still activate your wings?" he asked.

Sakura nodding, he nodded his head once before heading to the windows where he pulled off a glove. Opening the window, he gestured. "Then hurry now. We don't want another repeat in history do we?" he said where the crimson smiled.

"Thank you. I'll be back to rest before you know it," she replied before wings sprouted on her back. Quickly heading to the direction of the noise, she gave out a roar where Takuto looked up to the window.

"Erza... Can you please open the window?" he grunted as Lucy continued to move around.

Sting and Rogue walking into the room, they met eyes with Takuto where they caught his flickering eyes. "She's gonna bombard," he stated as he cocked his head to the window.

The boys nodding their heads, they rushed to the window and tensed as Erza opened the window with a confused expression on her face. Their eyes locked onto Sakura's charging figure, they got into position as they caught her once she flew in. "Offft!" the boys went where everyone other than Lucy turned their attention to the crimson.

"Uhh... Incoming?" she joked before widening her eyes as Lucy screamed again.

Her eyes going into serious business, she walked over to the bed where she stopped the nurse from handing over the needle to the doctor. "Wait," she instructed before the nurse raised a brow to her.

"This is no place for you to be making commands," the nurse scowled before stopping when the doctor told her to stop.

Sakura looking at Lucy, she forced herself to smile before air pinned her down. Takuto and Gray sighing in relief as they got off of the bed, they all distanced themselves from the blonde and crimson, and simply watched from the sidelines.

"Lucy..." Sakura began where Lucy began to sob out loud.

"My parents didn't deserve to die! I should've died for being so stupid over a bloody ball!" she cried out as Sakura sat on the edge of the bed with a sad smile on her face.

"It'll be alright. They're both watching over you in heaven," she cooed where Lucy snapped her head to look at her.

"Liar! They wouldn't watch over someone as stupid as me! I bet that they both hate me!" she snapped, making Sakura flinch at her harshness. "I don't want to witness more people that are around me to die... I lost so much..." she whispered where the crimson brushed her blonde hair away.

The girl sighing, she turned her head to the nurse. "We need some sleeping medications. Please give her something to allow her to relax and rest," she instructed where the nurse somewhat nodded since the doctor somewhat allowed her to give out these instructions rather than yell at her for taking control.

With Lucy still trying to free herself, Sakura tensed as she inhaled a very familiar scent. It was old, but it still lingered within the room, and widening her eyes, she looked over to Takuto. "This was Igneel's room," she whispered as her eyes flashed back and forth from her normal colour to red.

Forcing herself to look at Lucy, she forced a smile. "Lucy. You're safe... No one's going to hurt the people who are close to you..." she cooed through her gritted teeth as she tried not to focus on Igneel's scent.

Lucy balling her fists, she shook her head. "Liar! You're a liar Sakura! Of course everyone's going to get hurt! You just got shot!" she screamed before trying to pull her head in agitation. "If only I was dead!" she yelled before the nurse came running back.

"Please... All of you... We need to calm her down, so please wait for us outside of the room," she said as she gave the tray containing various things resting on top to the doctor.

The man nodding, he hassled the children out before closing the door where Sakura punched the wall. "That fucking bitch! How dare she lie and act as if she's innocent!" she cursed before Erza and Gray looked at each other.  
"We both know that you're leaving soon, but we have something to tell you..." Erza informed where the crimson snarled at her.

"You of all people should know your responsibilities to and for a friend. What were you both thinking of when you followed his idiotic steps?!" she boomed where the frames shook.

Her eyes flashing red, Takuto pulled her into an embrace. "Lucy's fine. Igneel is watching over us Sakura... He won't be happy to see you like this."

* * *

Sincerely sorry for the very late updates! Just to let you all know now, I'll be on an updating streak to keep this account updated to the one in Wattpad.  
\- CelestialSakuraa (Celeste)


	16. Conflicted Emotions

_You're Warm_

_Chapter 15: Conflicted Emotions_

* * *

In anger, Sakura snarled where the patients warily looked over to her direction in caution. With heavy pants making her chest constrict, she glared at Erza with all her might before wincing at her bullet injuries. "You people are nothing more than pathetic little pests that do nothing more than to irritate me whenever you ignore her," she seethed before pushing Takuto away.

With one final inhale of Igneel's scent, she snarled and felt the need to splatter some blood all over the floor. Slowly lifting up her glowing red eyes, she began to walk over to Gray where Takuto wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from getting any closer to the raven.

"Let me stain his blood into my hair and make it grow more bloody crimson! If only she didn't exist - If only she didn't come into his life and overtake his freedom! She took away my only family that knew who I was!" she screamed before more the same doctor that had treated her came running to their direction in the hallway.

Her eyes filling up in tears, she gave out a painful bellow where their hearts sunk into their stomachs. Giving out a roar that was strong, yet wavering with nothing more than pain and sorrow, she slowly sunk to the floor as her body shook and jolted at the overbearing emotions that flooded her.

Eyes all directed at her as she punched the floor where a small crater was made, she laid there on the floor. "She doesn't deserve this amount of pain... No one does... But why is she causing this for all of us? Lucy's innocent - Why hunt her down?" she continued.

Giving out a stressed sigh, Takuto slowly went on his knees and was about to scoop her up into his arms. Erza and Gray widening their eyes as they watched her reject his actions, they looked at each other in confusion before guilt settled into their bodies. They once believed that following Natsu was a good idea since he was always the positive one - Now look at the results.

Everything around them was slowly chipping and breaking apart.

The one positive and bright child was now a weak, and an isolated woman. The one that had a burning, passionate love for everyone around her was now a torn up and inflicted person. The one that was seemingly innocent and curious... Was now a demon tearing up the hearts of what she seems as a threat to her life...

Watching as Sakura slowly hauled herself up from the ground, their eyes followed her as she unsteadily walked down the hallway in silence. Her bangs covering her dull, emotionless eyes; She continued to walk before she disappeared as she made a sharp turn at an intersection.

"This is all messed up..." Gray sighed as he felt an icy shiver running up his spines. Walking over to the seats, he dropped himself onto the plastic furniture and looked down to his shoes as if it were to be so amazing that he entered into his own little world straight away.

With the other three watching, Erza shook her head and crossed her arms as she turned her attention from Gray over to the mysterious boy that would only talk to them when necessary. Her eyes trying to decipher his emotions as he slowly stood up, she opened her mouth to speak.

She needed to tell him what they knew. She had to. She knew she had to since he too, disliked Lisanna from top to bottom.

Sakura and her boyfriend, Takuto, hated Lisanna to their very soul. They know things that they don't - They are the force which holds things together and prevents bad endings from happening...

"She's blackmailing him..."

"We know..." a voice replied. Everyone's heads turning to Sting and Rogue, she raised a brow as Sting crossed his arms with his brows furrowed. "We know, and we don't plan on letting her touch the blondie," he added on where Takuto sighed and walked passed them.

The boy stopping in between them but at a distance, his hidden eyes glinted a deadly intention. "Do not disappoint her," he muttered under his breath before turning to look at the doctor that was watching them with observing eyes.

Cocking his head, the doctor simply nodded and followed where Takuto began his search for the crimson that was possibly relieving some stress somewhere far away to make an emotional escape.

As the two of them left, Erza opened and closed her mouth in shock as no words were forming in her mouth. For so long, she had forgotten their existence within the school that she has attending for years. To now know that Sakura was well prepared for the upcoming future, she swallowed down her bewildered feelings to only give them a very stern look.

"You've been stalking Lucy?" she asked as she balled her fists.

Sting scoffing, he shrugged her accusations off and gave her a smug look. "Ever since her little runaway moment, we haven't even seen her in school. Do you think we even know where she lives?" he cockily replied to which Rogue gave him a pointed look.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer turning to look at her, he gave her a expressionless look - Something that he had stopped doing since their former principal's disappearance. "You can't be angry at us. We're here because Sakura gave us a chance. You however... Are the people that you should be angry at," he stated where Erza's face dropped.

Her fists unrolling, she ran her fingers through her long hair with a long agitated sigh. "I'm sorry. I'm just annoyed that we've neglected Lucy for this long," she apologised.

Rogue rolling his eyes, he then shook his head as he slipped his hands into his pockets. Looking at Sting, they began to walk away where Sting suddenly stopped to look back at them. "We'll be back. While we're away, don't let the bitch nor her puppy come into the room," he said before walking off without another word left behind.

Gray looking up, he looked over to Erza that was frowning. "We should've apologised to her earlier," he muttered where she dropped onto the seat beside him.

Her head resting against the wall, she closed her eyes and sighed. "I know. We were foolish to follow him. Look where it had lead us to now," she replied before the door of Lucy's room opened to reveal the doctor in charge of her case.

"Where's Sakura and her mate?" he asked as he wearily eyed the two.

Both of them standing up, they looked at each other before Erza replied to him. "They left sir. You can tell us the details and we'll relay them to her," she said where the doctor shook his head.

"I'm sorry but I believe I should tell Sakura rather than giving confidential information to two individuals that haven't visited this hospital before," he replied where Gray eyed his name tag.

"Doctor Samuel. Aren't you breaking your code of conduct by telling Sakura?" he accused where the doctor widened his eyes.

Samuel shaking his head, he slipped out of the room and turned back to say something to the nurse helping him before closing the door slowly. Holding his clipboard to his side, he stood straight and still. "Sakura has been here helping our hospital since her... Family member passed. She has been helping us and has received a certificate in healing patients with a high degree. She is an on-and-off certified healer here in this hospital," he informed before checking his clipboard.

"I am certainly not breaking any laws by informing an employee on Miss Heartfilia's condition," he bluntly concluded before excusing himself.

Before he brushed pass them though, he stopped. "You're able to visit her by the way. Just don't wake her up," he stated before walking off.

Gray balling his fists, he began to walk towards Lucy's room where Erza stopped him. "We shouldn't go in..." she said where he gave her a bewildered look.

"She's our childhood friend," he reasoned where she shook her head.

"She's our childhood friend that we've broken," she stated.

His head dropping, he clicked his tongue before they walked away from the door which separated the blonde from themselves. Knowing that she was far from the Lucy that they've known for so long, they knew that they have no other choice but to be angry at themselves for not being able to bring their mistreatment to a stop.

Walking, they listened to the echoing roar from who they knew was the crimson. With their heads hung low, all they knew was that they've ruined an irreplaceable bond with the two conflicted girls.


	17. Enslaved

_You're Warm_  
_Chapter 16: Enslaved_

* * *

Where was she?

Why as she floating within this black space?

When will she touch the ground below her?

Was there even a ground below her?

Slowly opening her eyes, she found herself floating in a place that she didn't know. High and away from her reach, she could see a pure white light which seemed inviting to touch. She tried to reach out to it, only to feel her hand as heavy as lead.

She couldn't feel her body other than her slowly-beating heart. It was still pumping her crimson blood throughout her body, but why couldn't she move?

"_Do you want to forget everything?_"

She couldn't move her mouth which was slightly open to allow her to breathe. She couldn't even move her head to find the person that was talking to her. Was the person even there in front of her to begin with?

She couldn't sense a presence so it must have been her head doing all of the talking.

"_To forget the past and carry on with the present?_"

Lucy remained floating as her eyes never left the bright light in front of her. Her chest rising and dropping at a very slow pace, she thought about it for a moment before two men in tuxedos emerged from the white light where the light morphed into a black sun which shadowed their faces.

The two men how hovering besides her, they smiled to her darkly as the sun continued to blaze and the black space slowly drained into the colour white.

"_There she wakes..._" the tallest man spoke where his voice echoed, giving out a dark, yet haunting impression.

"_She wakes - She wakes!_" the other said, repeating the words from the tallest in a screechy voice that was almost like a parrot infused with a crow.

As her eyes remained on the black sun, she felt her energy draining where a purple flaming feline appeared in front of her and in between the two men. Its body then changing into a figure of a girl, she smiled even though her eyes were shadowed by the sun behind her. "_Forget the past and become stronger. Accept the change - No one wants you..._" the girl said.

"_To forget - We'll make your wishes come true..._" the tallest man spoke where the shortest man repeated his words again.

"_Wishes come true- Come true!_" he said.

She laid there in silence and felt tears slowly forming at the corner of her eyes. Her tears were enough to make the girl in front of her laugh devilishly as she threw her head back in amusement.

"_Is the girl crying? Why is she crying?_"

"_She's weak - She is weak I tell you! No one cries over their past! They forget - They forget!_"

The high-pitched man was right. She is weak. Everyday was a pain to go through, so maybe forgetting was the right thing.

Maybe she should forget and move on. Nothing was going like how she'd like it to be, so why should be hope on the possible when it's impossible to happen?

Not knowing that her eyes were yet again letting go of its radiance, she laid there in silence. There was nothing to look forward to since no one cared for her...

That's right... No one did ever care for her.

The childhood friends that she once thought would always be by her side suddenly turned their backs on her and move on with their lives as if she has never existed. They were laughing without her being besides them - They were happy without her presence.

They were glad that she wasn't there with them...

The girls that were by her side were lying about their friendships to her. They didn't want her to laugh with them as they talked about popular idols. She knew that they wanted to be away with her and would rather spend more of their time on something else that wasn't her.

She knew that the people supporting her were too good to be true. They were liars, and they didn't like her one bit.

Her heart began to ache as she listened to the silent insults being thrown at her from all directions. It was killing her inside as her mind throbbed in pain, trying to ignore the words which were being absorbed into her body.

She wanted to forget.

Closing her eyes, it was like as if her pleas of wanting to forget were fulfilled. As she listened to the girl's cheering in front of her, she suddenly heard the sounds of wind brushing by where suddenly, pain was all she could feel as she snapped her eyes open to let scream of horrid pain erupt from her soul.

It hurts.

Like as if she was feeling like she was in a car crash, she tried to catch her breath before screaming as she felt hands open her wound. It was going deeper into her body, as she felt her body thrashing wildly as she tried to pry the hands away from her.  
Although she could move, she froze when she looked down to her chest - No wound and no hands... Nothing was touching her as she looked up to the girl smiling down at her.

"_You will reborn into someone stronger... You will forget about him_," the girl said before she vanished.

"_There she lays. I must say her memories are indeed beautiful and delicious-smelling_," the tallest then said before vanishing as well.

"_She forgets! She forgets!_" the short man chimed. He danced a little before his body fades into nothingness.

Slowly getting up, she felt nothing. She tried to reach to the sun that seemed like it was calling her where suddenly a chime called for her attention.

Her body turning to look behind her, she saw nothing. She then looked down to only widen her eyes as right below her were scattered tapes of what seemed to be pictures of her and her past.

Like a heavy force pushing her away, chains shot out from the sun and captured her as she tried to free herself. As if it was ripping her away from what's below her, she was engulfed into the sun and was put into a deep sleep where when she wakes up, she would be free from her nightmares.


	18. Awake

_You're Warm_  
_Chapter 17: Awake_

* * *

How long had she been sleeping for? She didn't know as she listened to the whispers of faint rustling happening beside her.

Slowly opening her eyes as she hissed to the bright light entering her eyes, she forced herself to close them before a voice spoke to her. "You're finally awake," Rogue said as he got up from his seat to look at her.

Groaning at the lack of response from her muscles, she nodded her head as she turned to look at him with tired eyes. "How long?" she whispered where he widened his eyes and gave her a glass of water after helping her sit up.

"You've been out for roughly a month. You didn't wake up when we tried to get you to - You have no idea how much you have made Sakura worried," he replied.

Nodding, she finished her glass of water and hummed in response. "Where's everyone else?" she asked, looking at him in curiosity before pain erupted in her head.

Rogue not knowing as the the pain slowly made its way down her body, he replied to her question by turning on the lacrima screen located in the corner of the room. "They're all at school watching the tournament. Sakura and her mate Takuto, are our representatives for the Worldwide Magic Games. If they win then they, along with another representative from our school, will compete for the Grand Magic Games," he explained.

As if he could tell that something was wrong in the air, he turned to look at Lucy who was intently watching the tournament from her bed. There was something that didn't feel right - Something must have happened during Lucy's little coma since the air around her wasn't as sweet as before.

Not knowing what to do, he just simply shook his head before looking up to the screen where they both watched as the man in white get thrown into the corner of the building which began to crumble.

In silence, they watched till the episode ended where Gray, Erza and Sting came walking into the room.

"She's awake!" Erza beamed, walking over to the blonde where she pushed the Shadow Dragon Slayer off of his seat to take his place. Holding onto the blonde's hand, she sadly smiled to her.

"I'm so sorry for leaving you Lucy... We both are," she apologised where the girl blankly looked at the two in front of her.

Tipping her head to the side, she smiled. "I'm fine... There's nothing to worry about," she said before looking away in the distance where she heard Sakura's voice ringing through the silence of the room.

"_Water Dragon's Roar!_" her voice boomed where she snapped her head to the lacrima screen to see Sakura jumping high into the air with her kimono sleeves fluttering. "_We are family. We strive to fight for our nakama!_" she cried out again as the screen flashed to have a picture of her posing with her name written underneath.

"_Watch as worldwide sensation Sakura Miyasaki take it to the stage with her partner Takuto Night! Will they lead their school to victory again with their dragons raging inside of them?!_" another voice announced before the advertisement ended.

The blonde frowning as she looked back to Sting and Rogue, she ignored Gray and Erza watching her intently. "I want you two to train me to become stronger," she said where the four widened their eyes.

"I think that it's best to wait for Sakura to come back to train you," Sting muttered.

She shook her head as she stared at him. Narrowing her eyes, she spoke in a more dominate voice which shook them in the inside. "I don't want to wait anymore. I'm done being the weak one," she scowled before kicking her legs over the edge of the bed which almost kicked Erza during the process.

"Lucy... You're not thinking str-" Erza stopped herself. The flames in Lucy's eyes said that she wasn't giving up on this topic. Sighing, she shook her head.

"I can train if you'd like."

Everyone all looked down to the scarlet once she finished her sentence. Confused to why Erza would agree to such a thing, the scarlet remained composed as she balled her fists. "If you can't fully forgive me, then let me train you as an apology gift," she said.

The blonde nodding, she looked over to Gray who also nodded her head. "I'll do it as well. I don't want her to hurt you while we're not here," he said as he looked down to her with a saddened smile.

"I couldn't teach you anything when we were younger, so why not start now?" he continued before looking over to Sting and Rogue.

He knew that Sakura had given them a job since she wasn't here to defend the girl. If something was going to involve Lucy, then they had to know before allowing such a thing to happen.

"We'll teach her. Just give us a chance again to redeem ourselves to her," he reasoned where Lucy turned to look at the two Dragon Slayers in question.

Sting sighing as he scratched his head, he glanced over to Rogue who remained silent beside him. "I don't know -" A powerful wave stopped him from talking. Looking back to Lucy, he widened his eyes as he watched the creature twist itself over her and snarl down at him with pure hatred and annoyance.

Taking a step back, he could only mutter an "Okay" before the beast vanished from his sight. "I wasn't the only one that saw that right," he whispered over to his friend.

Rogue looking at him, he nodded.

"Sakura was right about one thing," he whispered to which Sting gulped.


	19. Only Fools Cry

_You're Warm_

_Chapter 18: Only Fools Cry_

* * *

She sat there in the silence of her room where the clock's ticking could be heard ticking away in the distance on the far end of her white, and dull room. Her eyes dull and emotionless as she stared at the wall in front of her, she glanced over to her left to see two people seated and waiting for her attention on them.

Should she give them some attention? She didn't know that herself. As she asked herself if she should turn her head to the two people waiting for her, she felt something inside of her chest rumble and snarl to her questions.

Confused for a moment, she hesitated, but soon after, she felt a surge of energy enter into her body where she found herself calming down and relaxing. Although Lucy knew that something within her didn't want her to turn to face them, she knew that she had to if she wanted them to leave her alone in peace.

Giving out a sigh of tiredness as she turned her head to face the waiting Erza and Gray, she composed herself since she could recall little things relating to them in her memories. Who were they, and why did they act so familiar with her?

As if her mind was trying to remember something, she looked at them cautiously before opening her mouth to speak to them. She couldn't trust them - They couldn't be trusted.

"What do you want from me?" she said, her voice firm and confident which made the two surprised that she wasn't trying to avoid them in any way like what she was doing before in the past. Her eyes analyzing and trying to make sense of the reason why they're here, it was now her turn to wait for them since they were just simply looking at her in awe if as she were to be some rare specimen or animal from the zoo.

Faking a loud cough which snapped them out of it, she raised a brow. "If you don't have anything to say, please make your way out of my room so I can rest in peace rather than having you two stare at me in a strange way," she firmly pressed where Erza widened her eyes and shook her head with a forced smile.

"Lucy... We're sorry for making you feel that way in the past. We were being foolish and stupid for following and listening to Natsu," Erza said.

Lucy looking at her blankly, she frowned at the foreign name and tipped her head to the side. "For doing what? What have you guys done to me in the past?" she asked, feeling confused as if something in her life was missing.  
Looking over to Gray, she was surprised to see him staring at her in confusion and yet in shock - Was there something she wasn't getting right?


	20. Belladonna

_You're Warm  
Chapter 19: Belladonna_

* * *

After that small little confrontation, Lucy was left all alone in her room where she stared blankly at the TV screen that was doing a rewind on the fights that happened today. Watching the familiar two figures walk into a stadium that was programmed to imitate a certain location, in this case a desert, she felt her emotions raging inside of her as she quietly watched stop to look out into the distance.

"_And so, the Crimson and Sapphire Dragons have made their appearance!_" the television cheered as it displayed Takuto's name with some of his stats on screen. "_For so long, after each competition, it seems like he doesn't want to be around any media that's seeking for his attention! After every battle, he seems to have disappeared from the face of Earth!_" the thing continued to announced where then it came to Sakura's turn where an image of her was seen on the side of the screen with her stats.

The crimson's previous fights being displayed on the screen, the announcer in the box began to talk about her. "_Sakura's indeed a champion ain't she? Fighting for her school and for her family, she's not the best fighter to fight around with - Talk about lethal and precise attacks!_" the man said before it went back to the two of them standing beside each other.

Lucy sitting there, she felt her lips twitch when she watched the screen began to show their opponents. Not seeing the point of the competition, she sighed and looked down to her open palm.

Just what happened in the past? Why does she feel like she's missing something inside of her - Something important?

"_There is no need to remember about the past..._" a voice whispered where the blonde widened her eyes.

Looking around to find nothing other than a creature staring at her in the darkest corner of the room, she felt her body freeze. She tried to move, but she couldn't!

Just staring into those observing eyes, she couldn't move her neck or eyes to look away from those eyes - Those eyes that seem to be able to look through her heart and mind...

"_Engage!_" she listened to Sakura and Takuto's cry.

"_Do you know why they're so powerful? Tell me... Why are you so weak and pathetic_?" the creature said, as if their cries from the television snapped them out their little trance.

Lucy looking at it with fear evident in its eyes, she tried to take a better look at it where she noticed it swaying gently. Her eyes squinting slightly to see an arm in the shadows, she followed the long stick that it was holding to only see a blade of a scythe at the very top.  
Eyes widening as she tried to push herself away from the mysterious thing, she winced when she felt something cold capture her around her wrists. Looking down where she saw ice holding her hands down, she began to panic where she heard it chuckle in amusement to her building fear.

"_I'll tell you the reason why... They were able to create and raise the thing inside of them into a powerful thing - A powerful creature that's able to aid them in battle... You see Lucy, you're weak because you don't know how to use me to the fullest..._" the creature stated before slowly walking into a small slither of light where she gasped.

Looking at a reflection of herself, she felt her heart quicken its pace. In front of her was another her...

"_I was not supposed to look like you... I am not you - But look what you've made me become..._" the other Lucy spat, gripping onto her scythe where she then began to deviously chuckle to her own annoyance.

"_But then again, you erased those memories of yours to become stronger... Allowing me to regain my true form..._" she said where she used her free hand to dig into her cheek.

Slowly pulling it away, her skin began to rip apart where Lucy gasped at the clean skull hidden beneath it.

That was no human... It was indeed a creature... It managed to fool her... It was not human!

"_You seem quiet shocked... You should be happy that I'm inside of you... A creature that you can summon like Sakura Miyasaki and Takuto Night..._" the skull reaper whispered as it held onto its weapon with both of its hands.

Its body swaying slightly as the blade of its scythe reflected its skull head, it looked at her with glowing blue eyes. Its body dressed in a purple mist that seems like a cloak, it floated in the air watching her every move.

"_Did you know that the monsters inside of them are dragons? Sakura having the dragon of elements whereas Takuto has the dragon of ice... Unbelievable, for them to create such lethal and deadly things to aid them in battle - But they're foolish, unable to use them to the fullest..._" the thing said before turning its head to look at Sakura throwing a ball of fire to her opponent.

"_Indeed they are foolish_," the thing whispered before looking back to the blonde where it pointed to her.

"_You are pathetic - Weak!_" it bellowed before hovering towards her slightly where it looked at Lucy in the eyes.

"_Use me... Unleash me! Summon me!_" it said, repeated it over and over again where Lucy began to whisper the same thing like a mantra.

Her heart feeling constricted as she stared into its glowing blue eyes, she felt herself feeling drained and tired. "Unleash me... Summon me... Unleash me... Summon me..." she whispered where suddenly the door opened to reveal two worried boys looking at her.

"Lucy?!" Sting cried out where Rogue stared at the creature hovering right in front of her. "What is that?" Rogue whispered as he took a step back.

The male blonde clicking his tongue as he listened to Lucy whisper the four words over and over again, he tried to call for her again. "Lucy!" he boomed where nurses and doctors began to rush towards them.

Rogue snapping his head back, he bit the inside of his cheek in panic and snarled. "Stay back!" he yelled, stopping the five staff members from coming anywhere closer.

Lucy not knowing what was going on with her surroundings as she rested her back against her bed, she slowly raised her arms to place them on both sides of the skull's head. "Will you make me stronger?" she asked in a strained voice as she felt her eyes drooping.

The skull-being nodding, it swung its scythe back where Sting and Rogue widened their eyes in panic. "Shit! What the fuck is that thing?! A reaper?!" Sting cursed as he took a step forward where he was then pulled back by Rogue.

"That thing has a scythe!" Rogue hissed.

"And you think she's not in da-"

"Make me become stronger..." Lucy whispered where the thing chuckled.

"_That has already been taken cared of... Lucy, I'm making you invincible - We promised before no?_" the thing replied before swinging its blade across her neck.

A black band forming around Lucy's neck, the creature chuckled once more as she watched Lucy's eyes close. "_It's time to fully awaken my master... Use me... Abuse me... Make me create devastation to those you love without knowing_," the thing whispered before hovering near the window where it stared over to Sting and Rogue.

"_She is gone - Gone! Like Little Red Riding Hood that was tricked into bed and eaten!_" it cackled before Lucy snapped open her eyes.

The female blonde then slowly sitting up again, she craned her neck to look at them where they all flinched at her glowing blue eyes, something identical to the creature nearby her. Slowly opening her mouth where then pointed to Sting and Rogue, she felt her lips pull upwards into a cunning, yet sadistic smile. "Destroy them..." she said in a dead tone where the thing's eyes began to shine even brighter to her command.

"Belladonna... Destroy them," she commanded.


	21. Tricks and Thread

_You're Warm_

_Chapter 20: Tricks and Thread_

* * *

Sting and Rogue pushed themselves away from the door as the thing, or Belladonna, charged towards them with its scythe raised in the air. The both of them diving as she swooped over them, Rogue clicked his tongue where Sting gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"What the hell did Sakura leave us to look after?!" Sting growled where he looked up to Belladonna floating in front of a spectating Lucy.

The hospital staff retreating in horror as they dreaded the outcomes of them trying to hold back such a beast, they never looked back in fear of their lives. With no one now in the way, Lucy smiled before pointing to Sting and Rogue again, "I want them to scream in pain... I want them to see who's the alpha here."

Belladonna's eyes shone brighter as she smirked down to the two Dragon Slayers on the floor. "Ne... Did you know what being the thing I am... I can have more than a face and a body?" she said where her body began to get shrouded in a thick cloud of dark purple.

Sting and Rogue using that time to quickly get up on their feet, they turned the bodies to only face a crying Sakura who was sitting on the floor sobbing. "Sting... Rogue... Takuto actually cheated on me and I can't stand it - Smiling when I'm actually in pain!" she cried out where the two boys looked down to her bewildered.

Their assumptions of Sakura being there in front of them getting the better of them, they slowly approached the girl where Rogue quickly widened his eyes to her scent. "Wait Sting," he whispered, stopping him with his arm raised.

The male blonde looking to his best friend in confusion, he looked back to Sakura with a pain-stricken expression. "What is it now Rogue? The monster's gone and Sakura's crying over that jackass - I knew having mates was too good to be true," he grunted through gritted teeth where Rogue rolled his eyes.

"Her scent is different. The scent is like poison and I don't think that Sakura's smells like that. Remember - Scent is different," Rogue reminded, snapping Sting out it where he warily eyed the crying crimson on the floor.

Sting slowly approaching Sakura, the girl slowly lifted her head up to show them her tears where the boys felt their hearts being tugged. Her position revealing her most vulnerable state in the middle of the empty hospital hallway, they looked around before seeing something on their left.

"S-Sting... R-Rogue... Am I really not worth his time? Am I really the ruthless Crimson Dragon that they call me to be?" Sakura whispered as she rose from the ground.

Her tears falling to the tiles where her sniffles echoed through the silence, she rubbed her eyes where she then looked at them with her glowing crimson eyes. "Just what am I to him?" she asked began before suddenly pierced through Rogue's stomach where Sting looked over his shoulder with wide eyes.

A chilling laugh replacing those sniffles, the boys both slowly turned their attention back onto the girl who was floating in the air. Her red eyes now replaced with blue, it looked at them in amusement before raising its arm. "You know... Everyone always falls for these tricks. It never seems to amaze me," Sakura chimed before semi-transparent threats began to grow more noticeable by their eyes.

A figure watching in the far distance, they smiled to themselves as they watched Sting and Rogue dodge the threats of wire. They all knew that touching those moving things could mean an easy death - How they were somewhat dripping in an unknown fluid that could be guessed as poison...

Both boys panting hard as Sakura's body began to change back into Belladonna's form, they narrowed their eyes before looking at each other. Coming into mutual agreements, they snapped their heads back to Belladonna where Sting pulled off his earring with Rogue slipped off the ring from his right hand. "**Roar!**" they both cried out, releasing their magic that was once restrained by their accessories.

"You cannot defeat me... But let's see you try..."

"Do you sense something?" Takuto asked as he looked over to Sakura that was sitting on the bench. Handing over a bottle water to the girl, she looked at it with narrowed eyes before taking it from him. His eyes watching her drink where she then sighed tiredly, she wiped away her sweat where she looked out to the window in their private room.

"I feel uncomfortable. The night is restless, and even I don't think that I'll be able to rest peacefully tonight. I feel a stabbing pain but I don't know what's wrong," Sakura replied before looking down to her free hand where Takuto held onto it.  
"Is something happening to my family? A family bond... Is it really them that's hurting?" she whispered.

"**_White Dragon's Roar!_**" Sting bellowed as he ran towards Belladonna with his mighty roar already out of his mouth.

Rogue easily running along the walls, he jumped and landed behind Belladonna where he took in a deep inhale. "_**Shadow Dragon's Roar!**_" he cried out.

The beast chuckling, she easily blocked it with scythe blades sprouting from the floor. Her eyes displaying her emotions, she sliced her hand through the air where both of their roars were silenced within in instant.

With a smile, she looked back and forth to them. "You're more weaker than I thought you guys were. What a waste of time - Even with my master wanting to destroy you all, I see no benefit until they arrive," she said before vanishing.


	22. Night Problems

_You're Warm_

_Chapter 21: Night Problem_

* * *

Sting and Rogue were both at a loss of words as they stared at Lucy who was staring back at them blankly. Their minds unable to process what just had happened, they slowly stood up where Rogue's phone began to ring through the deathly silence.

"Hello?" Rogue answered, still staring at Lucy who was watching them with observing eyes. Hearing Sakura's voice, he sighed in relief before turning to face his back to Lucy, knowing that Sting would have his back.

"_Is everything fine over there_?" Sakura's voice asked where he glanced down to his clothes before looking straight down the hallway.

Not knowing what to say other than to report the crimson on what just happened, he glanced over his shoulder before looking at his partner. "Uhm... Lucy just lashed out. There was this monster that tried to kill us," he stated, feeling slightly nervous since the monster that was under Lucy's control was strong enough to knock them down.

Sakura didn't say anything for a moment. She was sitting outside on the balcony where the wind brushed passed her. Her mind blank as she repeated Rogue's reply over and over again, she slowly opened her mouth where she stood up to gaze up to the moon.  
"_Was it you two that were in pain? Was it you two that I was sensing?_"

He stood there still and turned to look at Lucy who somewhat went back to sleep. Glancing over to Sting who was scowling with his hands balled into tight fists, he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Possibly? We're not too sure but somehow, we're sensing a lot of magic coming from Lucy... Her power is seeping out of her body, almost like yours when you're enraged but slightly weaker," he responded, listening to Sakura's sigh before the sounds of clothes rustling.

"_Do you know her magic increased?_" This time is was a man's voice. Takuto was there with Sakura...

Rogue nudged Sting which made the boy snap his head to look at him in question. "Do you know Lucy's presence got even stronger?" he asked.

Sting shook his head to which Rogue sighed out loud tiredly. "We both don't know what happened while we weren't there. It just suddenly happened when we came to see how she was going in the hospital. It looked too abnormal to be a spirit that she would be contracted to..." he answered.

The crimson on the line glanced at Takuto in confusion. How could Lucy become powerful in magic when she's in the hospital resting?

"_I'm not too sure... Whatever happens, please protect her from anything. If this thing does appear again, please try to send us some photos so we can analyse it_..." Sakura said in which Rogue nodded to.

No matter what the situation may be, perhaps Sakura and Takuto may find a reason to it since they're more exposed to different types of magic than them.

Muttering a farewell and a good luck to them both, Rogue ended the call where he turned his attention back to the blonde who was peacefully sleeping in her room as if nothing just happened.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer unable to think up of an explanation to how Lucy knew the beast, his other question that he would like answered was why she would command that thing to kill them even though they're acquaintances...

"That girl is crazy..." Sting muttered as he scratched his head. Looking at Rogue he raised a brow before elbowing him where he looked at him in question.

"Sakura doesn't know what just happened, am I right?"

Rogue nodded his head before looking down to the floor in thought. "She's far too weak to build up that much power after collapsing like that at school... Just what happened while we're away?" he whispered where Sting rolled his eyes before shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm not too sure but she's asleep now. We should call the docs to check her up before we leave her alone," Sting said.

They had no other choice but to leave it to the doctors that Sakura trusts in. Turning to face their backs to the blonde who was sleeping, they began to walk away where only their footsteps echoed through the nightly silence of the hospital hallways.

Once they were gone though, the sleeping blonde snapped her eyes opened and smiled. Slowly sitting up, she turned her head and grinned deviously once she sensed no one moving around her.


	23. Unknown Rage

_You're Warm_

_Chapter 22: Unknown Rage_

* * *

"_And so, under recent news, three citizens in Magnolia have been severely injured last night after they were unknowingly attacked roughly around nine forty-five at night in alleyways. No one has reported anything, and the Magic Council believes that magic was used to inflict those injuries on the three victims... The victims were at age..."_

Lucy snapped her head to the door when she heard two pairs of feet coming to her direction. Staring at the two boys that stood there, she tipped her head to the side when they entered her room without a word being exchanged.

"Uhm... What are you doing?" she asked, staring at them where Rogue looked out to the window before turning his attention to the television that was still announcing news about the unknown attacks that occurred last night.

Sting standing there, he narrowed his eyes. "What was that thing that tried to attack us?" he asked before glancing up to the television.

His eyes shifting back onto her, he gave her a pointed look where she narrowed her eyes back at him with her hands clenching onto her blanket. "Where did you disappear when we came to do the checkup on you?" he then asked where she widened her eyes and gritted her teeth.

"I was in the bathroom down the hallway... Was it wrong for me to go to the bathroom without telling you both?"

Rogue looked at her in confusion, as if he was trying to figure her out. "We asked a nurse to see if you were there and there was nothing and no one there..." he pointed out.

The female blonde rolled her eyes which made Sting growl to her actions in agitation. "And here I thought you were someone that would be cool to hang out with. Look here blondie, I don't have time to babysit you -" he began where she interrupted him.

"Then why don't you just walk away?" she butted before snapping her head to the door to see Erza and Gray standing there looking all lost.

"And why are you two even here when I don't even know you?" she snarled.

Sting gritted his teeth as he sensed Lucy's magic slowly getting powerful again like last night. Trying to hold in his anger, he spat out the message that he was supposed to inform the girl given by the doctors. "Look, you're fine now and you're getting discharged this afternoon. Get a shower and get ready to leave at three in the afternoon," he said where he turned his head to look at Erza and Gray in annoyance.

"We have something important to talk to Lucy about, so can you two just leave already?" he growled where Erza narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

"We're her friends. Why should we leave?" she argued which made Lucy's blood boil for some unknown reason.

The girl's mouth opening without her knowing, she harshly said, "I don't know you two so why won't you leave us to talk?" Glaring at Erza, she slowly sat up and snarled savagely which made the scarlet flinch.

"Didn't you want us to train you?" Erza questioned.

Lucy scoffed as she looked out of the window before turning her head to look at Erza mockingly. "I don't need to be trained. I'm stronger than I was before, so you can take your training somewhere else and train someone who truly cares," she spat before raising her right arm up into the air where a scythe appeared above her open palm.

Holding it where the blade stopped near Erza's throat, she narrowed her eyes which seemed to be glowing. "I won't hesitate," she firmly said.

Sting and Rogue widened their eyes where the Shadow Dragon Slayer quickly took sneaky shots of the scythe in Lucy's hold. Silently slipping his phone back into his pocket, he held his breath in when he noted the thick tension arising.

"Did we really hurt you that much to make you not hesitate to hurt us - To hate us that much?" Erza whispered as she glanced down to the sharp blade near her throat.

The sounds of blades clashing against each other, Sting and Rogue took a step back when Lucy's scythe came flying to the floor in front of them. Erza's blade in the pillow right next to Lucy's head, she firmly held the blonde down in her bed with a frown on her face. "Although you're not hesitant on injuring us, we don't want to inflict any damage on you. We don't want to hurt you like what we've done to you in past... We're not even close to Natsu anymore..." Erza stated where Lucy's body jolted to the name mentioned.

"N-Natsu..." she whispered before widening her eyes where her head began to throb painfully.

Pushing the scarlet away from her, Lucy placed her hands on her head and gave out a painful scream where the beast residing within her began to go crazy. Her back bending as she tried to fight against the pain, she wailed like a banshee screaming in the night.

"_That name is more annoying than I thought! Gyaaaah!_" she yelled which was slightly gruffer since it was mixed with another voice.  
Squeezing her eyes shut, she gritted her teeth, not knowing that Belladonna was semi-transparent to the world around her.

Belladonna screaming, Lucy screamed as well as she snapped her eyes open to stare up to the ceiling in sheer agony. Skeleton-like wing frames sprouting from her back, she sat up and tugged her hair in pain.

"_Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!_" she screamed over and over again where Belladonna looked at Erza and Gray.

"_Why can't that name vanish?! Why can't I overtake these memories fully?! I thought I eradicated everything?!_" they questioned in fury before skin grew over the frames.

Lucy pulling herself to stand, she stretched out her hand where her scythe flew back into her hold. Throwing it to the window where glass shattered, making Erza and other cover their eyes to prevent shards from entering their eyes, they heard wings flapping to the sounds of glass making contact to the floor.

"_If he's not alive, then surely I will gain control! I will become powerful!_" Lucy and Belladonna cried out before flying through the windows where Rogue and Sting widened their eyes and quickly ran to the broken things.

"What the fuck just happened?!" Sting yelled as they all watched Lucy fly away with Belladonna's almost-opaque figure hovering above her.

Rogue taking as many photos as he could, he quickly sent them over to Sakura who was waiting patiently. Knowing that they would soon return from the tournament in four days, he gritted his teeth before grabbing Sting's jacket to tell him to follow the girl that had just flew away.

"We can't let her leave like this! Sakura told us to look after her remember?!" he yelled where Sting hastily nodded and ran out of the room, leaving Erza and Gray stunned at what just happened.

"Do you think that she's responsible for those unknown attacks that happened last night?" Sting asked as they bolted down the hallways.

Rogue nodding, they made a sharp turn where they heard two other pairs of feet chasing after them. Making another turn, he was confident about his answer. "Yes. By the looks of it, Lucy has lost control of whatever she has living within her," he said.

Both of them running, they heard Rogue's phone go off where they looked at each other knowingly. The Shadow Dragon Slayer answering the call, they eagerly listened to Sakura's voice.

"_That thing is no beast of the soul!_" she cried out through the speakers.


	24. Overtaken

_You're Warm  
_

_Chapter 23: Overtaken_

* * *

It was a nice day outside and Natsu was at a cafe with Lisanna hugging his arm while sitting next to him. A smile on her face as she snuggled into his arm, she opened her eyes and smirked over to the pinkette. "So that girl hasn't been at school for more than a month... Is it that easy to get rid of her?" she chuckled before reaching out to her thick shake where she scooped up a finger of whipped cream.

Placing it into her mouth, she chuckled as she let go of his arm to sit back into her own seat. "Honestly, it's nice to see that everyone has forgotten about that blondie. They're all too busy about us - How we're mate and an item," she said in amusement, glancing over to Natsu who was looking down to his cup with a blank face.

"Have you made Sakura-chan accept me as your mate?" she then asked.

She watched him slowly lift his head where he narrowed his eyes at her. "How dare you shoot her," he snarled in which she raised a mocking brow.

"Do you want me to bomb her hotel? She'll be dead - She might even say hi to Igneel for us both," she threatened where Natsu tightened his fists in silence.

He knew that she would seriously do that. She did it before, and she wouldn't mind doing it again if it means keeping him under her control... As much as he hated her, he hated himself for not being able to do anything against her.

Opening his mouth, he was about to say something until a shrilling scream of horror was heard nearby before the sounds of building collapsing followed after. Natsu pushing his chair back as he stood up, he listened to the screams that soon filled the busy streets.

"The Grimm Reaper has come to take our lives!" a voice screamed where Lisanna slowly stood up.

Their eyes looking at a particular direction, they widened their eyes when a figure slowly landed on the ground in front of them. With people screaming murderously as they tried to evacuate the area, Natsu's eyes remained on the blonde standing in front of him with a black skirt and a matching black crop top.  
Unable to listen to the screaming around him along with Lisanna's questions, he gaped at the blonde smiling to him with much distaste. If her eyes could kill, he would have been dead by now.

Not moving, he began to move when he saw the girl slowly raise her weapon into the air. Running towards her where she smirked, Lucy swiped her blade where he tried to reach out to the woman that was now falling to the ground.

Blood pooling around the woman's body, he looked at Lucy in horror to which she giggled darkly. The road now empty, only the three of them stood there in silence.

"_So this is the notorious Natsu Dragneel..._" Lucy spoke, voice still blurred among another's voice.

Her eyes glowing blue, she grinned as she pointed her scythe to him. "_Ahh... Such a beautiful red dragon residing within you. It's so beautiful that I just want to destroy it and eat up its soul after poisoning it_," she mocked before moving to point her scythe to Lisanna who was glaring at her.

"_This? That thing inside of you is a thing? Ha! How pathetic is it?_" Lucy laughed as she covered half of her face with her free hand. Laughing out hard, she threw her head back before dropping her hand.

With eyes that were mockingly cold, she chuckled. "_I don't know how that thing would taste, but I would love to see you writhe in pain while I take it out of your body..._" she said where Natsu covered Lisanna with his body in which she narrowed her eyes.

Tilting her head to the side, Lucy tried to think of a reason to why he would cover the girl from her sight. Not bothering since her mind and body was thirsting for some blood, she made her grin grow as wide as a Cheshire Cat. "_I don't get the reason why she would want your attention... Your affection... Just what is it that makes her unable to fully forget you?_" Belladonna questioned as she tried to figure out a reason.

Her shoulders raised, she lowered her scythe with her eyes still on the boy in front of her. "_It's been less than a day and still, with one mention of your name, her mind and soul tries to find and remember you - She can forget others, but not you_," Belladonna wondered.

"What are you on about Lucy?" Natsu asked to which she chuckled at her foolishness of speaking too much to the enemy.

The blonde shaking her head, she spun her scythe in between her fingers and took a step forward. "_If I get rid of him, then controlling her would be way easier... I don't think she would even use me unless I control her like this_," she mused before catching her scythe in ease.

"_I'm over this. Watching from the sidelines was always such a bore... I preferred real action overall."_

Going into stance, she gave him an insane smile where she bolted forward.

"No!" Lucy screamed where she suddenly stopped her course and dropped her scythe.

Her eyes fading back to her normal honey-brown, they slowly began to change back to a glowing blue where it began to go back and forth in colour. Lucy holding her head in between her hands, she painfully groaned as she forced herself her look at Natsu in shame and horror.

Her mind and soul fighting against the overwhelming power inside of her, she gritted her teeth as she tried to regain control over her own body. "You do not control me!" Lucy cried out, this time clearer as she fought for dominance.

Dropping onto her knees, she closed her eyes and used all of her strength to push Belladonna out of her body. Her breathing ragged as she slowly pushed herself from the ground, she swayed slightly before standing up straight with her bangs shadowing her eyes.

Her wings transforming into black rose vines where they wrapped themselves around her neck down to her hips, crimson red roses began to bloom just as she raised her head to stare at Natsu and Lisanna blankly. More black vines appearing around her knees down to her ankles, purple flowers began to bloom with dark purple berries sprouting as hair accessories on her head.  
At this point, Lucy looked like a doll covered in vines. Her eyes hauntingly staring into Natsu's confused ones, she slowly raised her finger and pointed to Natsu blankly. "I want him gone... I want my life to return to when I was younger - Without him in it of course," she whispered where Belladonna's eyes shone brightly in correspondence.

Natsu taking a step back where Lisanna didn't know that Lucy had this amount of power within her, she grabbed onto Natsu's shirt with large, unbelieving eyes. "What the hell is that thing behind her? Is she insane?" she snarled where Belladonna began to approach them.

The boy gritting his teeth, he had no other choice but to fight against the darn thing that was wielding the scythe. "I'm all fired up!" Natsu boomed where his scarf began to glow, his clothes changing into his battle clothes.

He didn't know what was going on, but his plans were to get rid of that skeleton-looking thing before snapping Lucy out that trance or whatever.


	25. Loathe

_You're Warm_

_Chapter 24: Loathe_

* * *

Rogue dashed through the escaping crowd with Sakura still on the phone. Sting gritting his teeth as he followed his best friend, he too weaved through the crowd where his heart was painfully throbbing which indicated his cousin's worry for the girl that flew away.

"_That beast cannot be Lucy's! She's a Celestial mage, not a savage mage that will tear through its enemies! Her magic reflects the beast within her, and that is no thing that should be hers - Someone must have tainted it!_" Sakura cried out through the speakers where Sting pushed himself to speed up once he caught onto Lucy's scent.

"How are we supposed to stop her?! She destroyed a bloody building and has attacked five people!" Sting asked as he looked over his shoulder to glare at the phone in his cousin's hand.

The two of them waiting for a reply, they heard shuffling in the background before the sounds of magic being activated.

"_I'll send my wolves over there to check on the details. They should be able to sense what's inside of Lucy... For now, remove the scythe from her and weaken her so the thing inside of her won't create havoc!_" Sakura instructed before wolves jumped out of a portal where they ran alongside them.

Erza and Gray didn't know about these wolves that were running alongside of them so it was convenient that they've gotten lost during the way. Sting meeting eyes with the black wolf, he nodded his head before jumping on top of it where Rogue did the same with the silver-white one. "Hurry Knight. I can smell more blood," Sting hassled.

The black wolf narrowing its eyes, it jumped high into the air where it continued its course on the rooftops. With Rogue following closely behind, they all widened their eyes when they found Lucy screaming in sheer pain on the ground below them.

"That is indeed the beast within humans..." the silver wolf whispered as it narrowed its eyes to focus on the thing floating above the blonde girl.

Knight nodding as he felt Sting's hands tighten their hold on his fur, he growled. "I smell heavy uncertainty and neglect in that thing... " he muttered, before both wolves jumped onto the ground where they stalked towards them, standing in between the battle.

"For now... We'll weaken the beast... Only beasts can fight with other beasts and spirits. They can inflict damage on humans, but only through command or when tainted," the silver wolf informed while Rogue climbed off of him.

"_Don't hurt Lucy too much... She doesn't know the true power of healing an awakened beast yet_," Sakura instructed through the speakers.

"_Go! Knight and Drancer!_"

The wolves both howled in sync as they bolted towards Belladonna with their canines exposed. Sting looking over his shoulder where he glared at Natsu, he balled his fists when he noticed that the one he looked up to was ready to fight someone in an unstable position. "Why didn't you -" He was stopped by Rogue who held a hand up.

"I think you should look at this," Rogue whispered, turning Sting's attention down to the woman near them where his face paled.

"_Your hearts are telling me something horrible has happened... No ma_-"

"Is that Sakura on the phone?" Natsu asked where they all heard Sakura mutter some curse words under her breath while her wolves were fighting against Belladonna.

His eyes asking the same question to the two in front of him, he looked at them in confusion when they both turned their heads away.

Their eyes on the two wolves bouncing on the creature that had just thrown them into the ground, Sting and Rogue could do nothing but to wait as they felt something stirring within their bodies - Agitation, nervousness, and the emotion on top of that, confusion, were what they were feeling as they watched the battle continue between the beasts.

"Who owns those wolves?" Lisanna asked as she wanted to pounce on top of the girl that wanted her beloved to be killed.

Sting hardening his eyes as he turned to look at her, he tightened his fists into balls. "You don't need to know anything - Why must you know anything from our family?" he spat before jumping out of the way when the silver wolf was slammed to the ground.

Rogue jogging towards the wolf, he placed his hand on top of the bleeding gash where the wolf whined before slowly pushing itself from the ground. "I'm fine... I just can't shift knowing that they don't know about our relation to Alpha Sakura," the wolf whispered as he limped.

"Drancer... You're hurt. Return to Sakura before you get even more injured," Rogue whispered back where the wolf shook its head.

The wolf giving him a sad smile, it snapped its head to Belladonna who was hovering in front of Knight and snarled furiously. "The dragon within Sakura is enraged. We're both agitated knowing that our master is in pain - We cannot go down until it's weakened," Drancer replied before running forward where he jumped on Knight to gain extra height in his pounce.

Sting not knowing what to do, he had no other choice but to run up to Lucy where he placed both of his hands on her shoulders. "Oi! Blondie! Snap out of it!" he yelled, gently shaking her where Natsu watched from the distance.

The pinkette not liking how Sting was touching the girl, he took a step forward where Lisanna quickly yanked him back. Turning his head to look at her, Lisanna narrowed her eyes in anger.

"You're my mate Natsu. You shouldn't be leaving me when there's that thing wanting to kill us - Protect me like a mate," she said threateningly where Sakura on the phone snarled with Rogue gripping on his phone tightly.

"_I will kill her once I see her..._" Sakura whispered.


	26. Irritation

_You're Warm_

_Chapter 25: Irritation_

* * *

The boy with the scarf didn't like how he was being held back while the other two boys were touching the girl in front of him.  
They shouldn't be touching what's his... But yet again, was she really his when they're not even together since the very day he felt a connection with her?

He gritted his teeth as he tried not to slap the white-haired girl's hand away from his. He wanted her away from him - He wanted someone else, and not her. He just wanted the girl in front of him to be in his arms - To always support him when he was in doubt or in emotional pain.

All he could do was watch while Sting tried to snap Lucy out of it with Rogue on the phone with possibly Sakura.

"I need to help them snap her out of whatever she's in," Natsu muttered as he felt Lisanna's hold on him tighten. Looking at her where he saw her glaring at the female blonde with so much hate, he blocked her sight with his body where he looked at her in the eyes.  
"More people are going to get injured if I don't do something right now. I promise you that I'll spend some time with you later..."

Lisanna bit the bottom of her lips as she glared at him in conflict. She didn't want him to help the girl. She wanted her to die so he could be with her, and her alone forever.

"I want you to stay at home for an entire week with me. I want you to not talk to anyone, and I don't want you to leave the house unless given permission by me," she said where she watched his eyes widen in surprise to her conditions.  
Smirking, she let go of him and pushed him forward where she crossed her arms over her chest. Indeed it was a perfect plan.

The white-haired girl watching her beloved mate approach the blonde, she gritted her teeth when she saw something irritating happen in front of her which made everyone around him look at him in disbelief.

Balling her fists where her nails dug into her skin where blood began to pool in between the thin crevasses, she narrowed her eyes before letting go. "_Heed to my commands, Sidero_," Lisanna whispered where she slashed her bloody hand across the air, watching as her blood splattered in an arc in front of her.

Her blood coming together where it began to increase in volume, it formed a large hovering sphere where it immediately turned black in colour. "_Bring that woman down. He does not belong to anyone other than me!_" she then commanded as a woman emerged from the orb.

The woman being as tall as a model, she was floating in the air with her eyes closed. Her lashes long and thick, she slowly opened her eyes and smirked as she raised her arm and pointed her palm to Lucy who was trying to push away Natsu.

Black vines emerging from her palm, they flew towards Natsu where they wrapped themselves around him and carried him back over to Lisanna's side. Releasing him where she placed a finger over his lips to stop him from talking, she seductively smiled to him before whipping her arm towards Lucy again where vines darted to her at an amazing speed.

"**_Shadow Dragon's Roar!_**" Rogue cried out, not liking how this was turning out.

His roar slicing through the vines, he was surprised to see even more come shooting out where Sting hurriedly grabbed onto Rogue's wrist that was holding onto his phone. "What the hell are you hesitating over there?! Let Takuto fight - He can fight perfectly fine by himself if there are any sudden changes!" Sting yelled where they both listened to Sakura sigh loudly through the phone.

"Can you please shut the hell up?" her voice muttered where both of them flinched and snapped their heads around to see Sakura standing there with her phone to her ear. Her lips pulled back into a firm line, she sliced her hand through the air upwards where blades of wind sliced through the approaching vines.

"How ignorant of you to summon your beast - Knowing that none of them know how to call theirs out," she said, standing in front of Lucy where she crossed her arms and gave Lisanna a pointing look.

"If you wanted someone to play with your beast, you should've called me," she then mocked where Lucy look a step back.

Sakura looking over her shoulder, roots emerged from the ground and held the blonde down to stop her from escaping. Tightening her roots' grip on the blonde, she managed to knock the blonde out where she turned her head back to Lisanna. "You've done enough to the people precious to me," she snarled, showing her canines where the white-haired girl flinched and took a step back as she raised her head to look at the semi-transparent beast glaring down to her with its feral eyes.

"You didn't listen to my warning before, and you managed to -" She stopped talking when she saw Natsu take a bold step in between them where she slipped her phone into her kimono sleeve.

Her back straightening as the wind ran passed them, she hardened her eyes as the beast behind her began to grow opaque threateningly. The temperature around them dropping as she waited for the pink-haired boy in front of her to move, she began to grow impatient where slowly her hair began to rise into the air. "I'm definitely losing my patience with you two... I know what the hell is going on between you two, and as much as I hate to defy my mother... I have no choice but to intervene!" she bellowed, dashing forward where her right arm transformed into a dragon's.

Sakura's clawed fingers wrapping themselves around Sidero, Lisanna's beast, she slammed the thing down with a snarl ripping through the silence. "You may be a beast, but mine is a leader born to overpower you!" she bellowed where Knight and Drancer stalked forward.

"Do not look down on us dragons!" Sakura boomed, pushing the woman deeper into the broken concrete where the wolves then pounced onto her. Screams ripping through the silence, it faded away where Knight and Drancer were seen attacking aimlessly at nothing.

The crimson flicking her long crimson hair over her shoulder, she sighed and shook her head. "You may have been an evil nymph, but don't forget, you're not a threat when it comes to us," she muttered before turning her attention to Belladonna.

"Do you want to get destroyed like her as well?"

Natsu gritted his teeth as he watched Sakura speak to the monster hovering behind Lucy. That dragon that was once behind her vanished, but the dragon's arm was still attached onto her as she stared at the beast watching her movement.

"You cannot separate us... We are for one another, and you'll never see the same old girl you knew once before..." Belladonna spoke as she played with her scythe.

"You'll never see anything good within us... We will kill to show you our strength -"

"Did you force Lucy into killing all of those innocent people?" Sting interrupted.

Belldonna chuckled. "We only killed those seeking to join the stars... Who were the killers?" she asked before turning her head to Natsu.  
"Who were the killers? Was it them... Or was it us?"

She wasn't paying attention to anyone else other than on the boy staring into her eyes in conflict, but yet in irritation. His eyes hard and conflicted as he somewhat knew the answer to her question, he bit onto his bottom lip. "Why are you asking me? You guys killed them!" he lied, feeling annoyed that he wasn't able to tell the truth about anything.

Turning his gaze to look at Sakura, she looked torn as she slowly shook her head in disbelief. It seems like she too knew what Belladonna was asking him during the moment.

Lucy slowly regaining her consciousness, she stared at Sakura's exposed back and sadly smiled. "Got you," she whispered where Belladonna raised her scythe.

It was too late when Sakura turned her head to the sound of the wind. Blood pouring out from the large cut on her back, she widened her eyes where she slowly fell forward.

Her eyes staring at Natsu in horror, she felt her mind turning blank as she slammed into the ground with blood pooling around her.

Sting and Rogue running forward with pale faces as Drancer and Knight bounced onto Belladonna, Natsu stood there stiff and frozen as he stared at Sakura's clothes soaking up the thick plasma that was almost the colour of her hair. His mind recalling some traumatizing memories, his hands began to go up to his head where he tugged onto his hair.

"Please don't take away another family member from me..." he pleaded.

He took a step forward where Lisanna grabbed onto his shirt and tugged on it. His head turning to look down to Lisanna with wide eyes, he couldn't hear the words coming out of her lips as he slowly turned his attention back onto Sakura with his body shaking in fear and dread.

Sakura wouldn't leave him right?

She wouldn't leave him behind with no one else to support him?

Lisanna angrily sighed when she noticed that Natsu wasn't paying attention to her, roughly reaching out to forcefully make him look at her, she narrowed her eyes as she shook him annoyingly. "Who do you love more? Her, or me?!" she screamed, making him look at her in the eyes where she felt her blood boiling at the distant look that he was giving her.

Pushing him away where she balled her fists, she stomped on the ground when she watched him turn his back to her. "I am your mate Natsu Dragneel! I won't let that girl take you away from me!" she declared, watching him slowly walk towards Sakura where he dropped onto his knees and leaned forward to touch her head.

Sting and Rogue roughly grabbing his arm where the sounds of the wolves fighting the beast could be heard behind them, they tightened their grip as they showed him their elongated fangs. "Don't you dare touch her," Rogue snarled with his hair shadowing his enraged eyes.

The male blonde growling, he let go of Natsu's arms where he grabbed onto his scarf instead. His eyes having the look of blood thirst, he yanked his senior towards him where he glared into his eyes with so much hate. "You may have your friends, but Sakura is the only family member we have left on our side. It's because of you that she's hurt and is at the brink of death," he spat before pushing Natsu away from his face.

Quickly, but carefully picking up Sakura, Sting and Rogue stood up and glared at Natsu. Sting carrying Sakura, Rogue craned his neck to look at the two wolves that were approaching them with their ears down. They too wanted to attack Natsu, but without their Alpha's command, they cannot do a thing other than growl and leer at the boy in front of them.

"You two look after Lucy. Take her to where Sakura would," Rogue instructed where the wolves looked at him before nodding.

Sting and Rogue nodding back to the wolves, they quickly left to bring Sakura to a hospital, leaving Natsu all alone as he looked down to his feet in shame.


	27. Returning

_You're Warm  
Chapter 26: Returning _

* * *

It's been two months since that very incident and no one has seen Lucy, Natsu and Sakura. School hasn't been the same since they learnt details about that very day, and they didn't seem to accept the fact that Lucy had killed people during her time in the hospital.

No matter what excuse Erza, Gray, Levy, Sting and Rogue tried to reason with, they would always call them liars for siding with someone that had stained their hands with innocent blood.

"Are you really fine over there?" Takuto asked as he looked out of the window that he was leaning beside with a phone to his ear.

Hearing the person on the other side of the phone sigh, he adjusted himself against the wall where he eyed the crimson hair fluttering outside behind the cherry blossom tree. "_I just cannot stand here and watch as my family and friends fall apart anymore... Lucy's known as a killer now, and I cannot handle hearing the names that they're calling her_," Sakura's voice replied.

He watched as she revealed herself. Her eyes meeting his as the wind made her hair flutter and dance along the petals of the fallen blossoms, he couldn't believe that the beautiful girl out there was his.

As if time was repeating itself again, he couldn't help but smile when he compared the past to the present with each other. What was he thinking, bringing up such a bloody encounter he had with his mate?

"_Takuto_?"

He shook his head and waved to her where he watched her pouting lips pull up to give him a reassuring smile. "No matter what you decide on, I'll follow you forever," he replied.

Sakura felt her heart swell up in love as she gazed at his loving smile. Her hand reaching to her piercing where she released her magic, she changed into her kimono top and battle clothes where she turned and ran to her new destination.

It's been a while since she went to visit Lucy's house. It's been a while since she stood there at the front of Lucy's home... Pleading that the girl wasn't doing anything self-harming to herself.

"No matter what, I want to stop the people we all love and cherish from suffering," she whispered to herself as she jumped high into the air where she landed on Knight, her black wolf summoned from another dimension.  
Drancer, her other wolf, following closely behind, they all jumped from roof to roof towards Lucy's home silently.

They all knew what they were all going to see. Nothing.  
It was easy to expect since there was no life spotted anywhere within the house each time they came. Even if they were to enter, no one was seen walking in or out throughout the vast property.

Just where did everyone go? Just why was Lucy's home lacking the energetic life that every other family has?

Biting the bottom of her lips, she gently tugged on Knight's fur where he stopped jumping to land easily on a steep rooftop. "Is something to matter Sakura?" he asked where Drancer looked at his Alpha's tired state worried.

She hasn't been getting proper sleep since her discharge, and her tiredness as taking a huge toll on her body. Her eyes drooping as her body slouched forward, she looked out to a particular direction longingly with a sigh escaping through her lips.

"I want to go home..." she whispered where Drancer and Knight looked at each other in question.

"Uhm... Which home exactly?" Knight asked as he tried to look up to Sakura who was frowning slightly to her homesickness.

Drancer taking a step forward towards his Alpha, he raised his head in confusion. "You have like... Three places that you call home," he stated, making the crimson cross her arms childishly.

The crimson looking gently tugging on Knight's fur to steer him to the direction that she was once staring out to, she raised her pointer finger out to point into the distance. Knight and Drancer now understanding what place she was longing to return, they began to leap into the air where they headed to the house that they promised themselves not to bring their leader to.

Since Sakura wanted to go that place though, they had no other choice but to follow as the scent of strawberries and vanilla began to fade away. It's been a while since they've seen the people that once stood alongside with her. Other than Takuto, they hoped that she was living a typical high school life when she's not conflicted with issues like this.

"Why are we heading to that place Sakura? That place brings too many bad memories," Drancer questioned as they continued their travel.

The girl furrowing her brows, she didn't know what to say as they all landed in front of a two-storey house. To be honest, she didn't really have a reason - For some reason though, she felt like it was a while since she visited the old man, hence wanting to go and visit him.

She slid off of Knight where he quickly pushed her back with his snout, making her look down to him in confusion as she felt her eyes wanting to close. Watching him and Drancer narrow their eyes to the house, they snarled when a certain white-haired girl stormed out of the house with her beast being semi-transparent.

Narrowing her eyes, Sakura took a step forward and blocked Lisanna's path with a snarl. "Why the hell are you here?" she questioned where her wolves snarled to Lisanna's beast that was hissing down to them.

Her back straight, but now slowly leaning forward as she parted her legs; Sakura eyed the girl where she found a heavy smell of incense coming from the girl in front of her. Growling as she took a step forward, she wanted to do nothing else but to lunge a punch to Lisanna as she waited for the girl to give her an answer.

"Tell me you cunning little -"

Sakura was interrupted when Lisanna slyly chuckled to her annoyance. Her hand covering her mouth in a way which posh, and arrogant women usually do to show their confidence, she smirked at Sakura where the crimson growled, wanting to rip her to shreds.

"Why must I answer that question when you're the one who ran away from this place after hearing Igneel's death? I'm surprised that you're still alive after what Lucy's beast had done to you," Lisanna mocked.

"Haven't we shown you a bit of what we can do to you when you annoy us?" Drancer questioned, aiming his question towards Sidero where she scoffed.

Lisanna crossing her arms, she played with the ends of her hair before snickering. "So how does it feel to learn that your favourite blonde is being called a murderer? Such a shame that she's being called that even though it's her beast causing the trouble," she asked, pretending that she really cared for Lucy.

The crimson balling her fists, she glared at the girl in front of her in distaste. "It'll be such a shame when your family doesn't recognise your face - Leave this place at once Lisanna!" she boomed where the girl took a step back in bewilderment before narrowing her eyes.

Sidero vanishing, Lisanna stormed past her where Knight innocently left out his hind leg for her trip over. Sakura, Knight and Drancer snickering to the girl on the ground, Sakura pretending to act innocent before glowering down at the girl near the gates. "That's for trying to humiliate Lucy - When I truly find out what you did inside of my second home... Prepare to get your ass inflamed by our flames," Sakura spat before heading towards the front door of the Dragneel's home.

Reaching to the doorknob, she flinched when a certain someone opened the door for her with bags under their eyes. Sakura furrowing her brows as the heavy smell of incense wafted into her nose, she raised a questioning brow to Natsu where she then barged her way.

She knew where she had to go to find out the reason why the smell of incense was all over the house. Usually when they used it, it was subtle and sweet - Relaxing to the mind, and inviting.

Her body heading towards the sun room where she recalled the old man often sitting there and bathing under the sunlight, she froze when she opened the Japanese sliding door.

Anger making her body shake as she gritted her teeth, she took a step forward where she gave out an enraged roar which shook the house to her emotions. She was furious - She wanted to go back to her old days to hunt that girl down to rip her to tiny, thing shreds.

"She really doesn't know anything about my past - Doesn't she?" Sakura snarled as she looked over her shoulder with her beast threatening to come out.

Natsu standing there frozen, he slowly nodded his head where she narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "You better tell her that I wasn't some angel when I was younger, because if you don't, I'm afraid that little rat will be finding herself a VIP access to getting skinned alive then boiled. You let her into this place... Knowing what she could do to Igneel?!" she boomed, turning her body to face him completely.

"Listen here Natsu... Igneel was the only one left that truly cared for me. My mother died, and I have no idea who my father is - Don't you try shattering what's left of him!" she cried out before she turned once again to walk to the shattered glass in front of the cupboard that was specifically built to house Igneel's portrait and praying necessities.

Using her magic to lift up the shards, she directed them outside where she threw them in the small bin that was resting near the door. "Your actions are killing us all..." she then whispered before blowing out the incense and the remains out of the room.

She dropped onto her knees and slowly picked up at the grinning portrait of the old man with red hair. Being careful not to cut herself by the broken glass belonging to the frame, she sniffled before holding it to her chest where she looked up to the small frame situated in the open cupboard.

"Igneel... I'm home..." she sobbed as she clenched onto the frame a little bit tighter.


	28. Plead

_You're Warm  
Chapter 27: Plead_

* * *

He stood there watching over his cousin in guilt as he listened to her cries silently. It's been a while since she has cried this hard in front of him, and honestly, it really did hurt him knowing that his father was no longer in her life like how he was in the past...

Igneel was a great man. He had good judgement, and was the one that accepted Sakura and her past without feeling any regret for his actions.

He was always there for the both of them. Each time they would see him in the house, he would always be grinning and giving them a big bear hug which never fails to make Sakura smile after coming home from her visit to the forests nearby.

No matter what others may say about him - Calling him a man without a loving wife - He would always remain strong, and perhaps, that attitude of his rubbed onto Sakura since she was strong-headed and was never giving up to the insults of people calling her an abandoned child at a young age.

"She barged into this place and threw what she could onto the floor. I managed to take her out, which you saw when you came here," he said where Sakura held back her whimpers to glare at him.

"We all know what she wants from us - You just don't want to say anything..." she whispered as she looked at the shrine again and placed the shattered frame gently on the middle shelf.

Slowly standing up, she balled her fists and turned her body to face him. Her magic seeping out of her body where her beast emerged from her body to stare at Natsu with its semi-transparent body, she lowly growled as she held her back.

"I gave you so many chances Natsu... Even though I'm younger than you, I too gave you information about mates..." she began as her eyes slowly began to glow a hue of red.

"You broke Lucy. You broke Erza and Gray who are trying to fix their relationship with the blonde. You broke Sting and Rogue's expectations... You broke me and Takuto together..."

Sakura shook her head and placed a hand over her heart. "Natsu... Lucy needs someone to be with her - She's at a critical point and I think we can't hold her back anymore in the other world..." she informed where she looked into his eyes which held so much pain.

"I have noticed how much her beast wants to touch her fated one... Each time I visit her home, I get delusional, thinking that she's there..." she said, taking steps back where she rested against the wall tiredly.

Forcing herself to laugh, she held back her tears once again. "Heck... I even went there again thinking that she may be doing something horrible to herself when actually she's just sleeping in another world..." she confessed before running her fingers through her hair.

She looked at him as her eyes began to go back to their normal colour. Her mind not functioning as well as usual due to her tired state, she sadly smiled to him with her droopy eyes. "You know that Lisanna is not your mate. I waited for you to tell me everything, but I guess I had to snoop around to find out about the truth... Natsu, it's time for you to truly accept reality because once Lucy's beast has had enough of this - You're gonna be dead and lowered into the ground without even knowing that she was the one that killed you."

With that, she pushed herself away from the wall where her wolves pushed through to catch her falling body. Drancer looking up to Natsu's slouching form, he opened his mouth where his words flowed out in a tired tone. "We are currently holding Lucy inside of a crystal in the Celestial Realm... If you truly want to accept her and bring an end to all of this foolishness, then please come to Sakura-sama where we will take you to her," he informed with Knight staring at the boy with narrowed eyes.

"That girl that she's overprotective of... Her beast yearns for her fated other... It's crying in its sleep, and is seeking for blood when its eyes are open. Sooner or later, corruption will take over," Knight stated before heading out through the back door where Drancer bowed his head to Natsu then over to Igneel's shrine.

Both wolves jumping away with Sakura resting on Knight's back, they shifted into their human forms when they knew Natsu couldn't see them.

Where exactly were they heading to now? The only place they knew, other than Takuto's home, was the world that they had just mentioned to the boy with pink hair.

So taking Sakura to sleep with Lucy's resting body, they softly howled before passing through the gates that connected both worlds together.

It's almost time for Lucy's eyes to open. When that time comes, her beast will be uncontrollable - Much worse than what happened months ago...

He on the other hand remained rooted in his spot in a daze. It's been a while since he went to school, and it has definite been a while since Sakura had visited their home to pray to the old man in the cupboard.

For so long, he never felt that his home was large and empty until today. He missed the blaring the conversations that he used to have with Sakura on the speakers, as they catch up on life through a small camera and computer in his room - How his close friends would come and say hi to her where often Igneel would come in and discuss things with them all.

That life that they once had was no more when a certain girl came and called him her mate. She was obsessive, and never once did he doubt her until Sakura started to answer his questions.

His cousin being younger than him, he knew that it was embarrassing for someone like him to ask such a thing. Igneel would always try to hint these things when he was merely a young child, and now acknowledging how important mates are, he found his heart throbbing in pain as he began to head towards him living room.

"I screwed up hard," he groaned as he plopped himself onto his couch.

Covering his eyes with his arm, he gave out a loud sigh of annoyance where he thought back to the tears being shed by the girl with blonde hair. She has suffered so much thanks to him - She lost her parents, her friends, and now her sanity...

If only he could go back in time to fix all of his mistakes.

"Natsu... We're coming in," Erza's voice echoed through the hallway.

He sat there silently as he listened to the two pairs of feet entering his home and into the living room. Knowing that it was Erza and Gray sitting on the couch that was facing him, he remained in his spot as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Guys... I think it's about time I accept everything," he whispered.


	29. Form

_You're Warm_

_Chapter 28: Form_

* * *

She found herself walking around a blackened world with nothing other than judgmental whispers echoing around her like those never ending waves belonging to the seas and oceans. Nothing could be seen clearly within arm's reach, and surely there was nothing for her to see that really mattered in her life.

Aimlessly walking as the whispers continued, Lucy rubbed her arm as she looked around with fearful eyes. She didn't know who they were talking about, but for some reason, her gut told her that it was her that was in the circle of attention.

Being raised from a family so well-known. She should have gotten used to the murmurs and whispers swirling behind her, but she lost of all that when her parents left her, leaving her all alone in the vast world.

Although the world was too big for only a person to live, it was far too suffocating for everyone to live in one same world where each person is toxic to another.  
What she believed in was a toxic, poisonous world. A world that slowly kills one another through the worse weapon of all... Words.

She could hear their insults clearly, and she wanted to escape it all.

Slowly, the dark space began to fade into white where Lucy sighed in relief as she looked down to her hands. "I really don't want to open my eyes..." she whispered, slowly curling her fingers towards her palm.

Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath and looked up to the white sky with a saddened smile. "There's nothing left for me out there..." she told no one in particular where she turned to no particular direction and walked until she felt an invisible wall in front of her.

"At least in this place... There's no one that will hurt me and expect me to do the impossible..." she muttered under her breath before she turned and rested her back against it. Her knees bending, she sat on her bottom and tucked her knees under her chin and sighed.

"_I hate the world..._" a faint voice of hers echoed.

Lucy looking out to the white space, she frowned and tilted her head to the side. Inside of her heart, she too agreed with the voice which kept on repeating itself in her mind.

The world that she lived in was a world filled with lies and hatred. Indeed, she really did hate the world.

"_Everyone in the world should die. If everyone isn't here, then I won't have to deal with this_," the voice whispered again where when she blinked, a younger version of her stood in front of her with a ball in her hold.

"_I did nothing to make God angry... Why did he make our life like this?_" the young teen questioned before raising the ball high into the sky. With a blank expression on her face, she slowly turned her attention to the older blonde on the floor.

"_Ne... You understand me, don't you? It is a fact that we're the same person with the same mind_."

Lucy bit the inside of her cheeks and frowned to the younger version of her. Legs starting to hurt as she slowly eased her legs apart, she glanced up to the white sky once more before looking back down to herself.

Although she hated the world, she really didn't want everyone to die just because of her though.

Trying to open her mouth to reply to the younger Lucy, she furrowed her brows when she found that she couldn't move her mouth. Strange... Was she paralyzed?

"_I don't want to leave this world... But I want to find 'him' and be together with him_..." the younger version of her whispered before her body shifted into Belladonna. Still holding to the ball, she looked at her with her blank eyes.

Even though they appear to be blank, as Lucy stared into Belladonna's eyes, she saw something else that no one else could. "Why do you look so sad?" she asked, staring into her eyes where Belladonna hovered back a bit.

"_This world should fall into the depths of the ruins. Nothing should be blocking me from him..._" Belladonna whispered before Lucy pushed her body up from the floor and slowly took a step forward towards her beast.

"You never answered me... Why do you look like you're about to cry?" she said where Belladonna looked at her before slowly dropping the ball where the area below her rippled and turned into black.

Belladonna hovering under a black spotlight, she slowly lowered herself to the ground where within the next blink of an eye, there sat a tear-stained girl looking at the blonde with her long dark-purple hair scattered on the floor.

"_How can you see me in this form_?" Belladonna asked in her human form.

Lucy taking another step forward, she hesitated for a moment before noticing the growing plants surrounding Belladonna were growing and withering away. Her heart aching for some reason, she carefully approach Belladonna and went on her knees.

She really didn't know much about this person, but for some reason, she felt a really close connection with her. "Were you the one protecting me all this time?" she asked.

Belladonna wiped away her tears before she began to look around, unsure if she would burn for reaching out to the light. Her blue eyes holding uncertainty, she slowly nodded her head before getting onto her knees. "_Why can't I reach him? Why are we defected?_" she questioned as she raised her arm out as if reaching to the blonde.

Retracting her hands, she bit the bottom of her lips. "_Is he going to reject me? Why can't I sense him?!_" she yelled before she slowly got up on her feet where the wilted plants wrapped themselves around her waist where it began to take form of a long skirt.

"_I can't find him! He won't let me see him with my own eyes! Where is my mate?! Where is my fated one?!_" she screamed.

Her glowing eyes looking at Lucy, she snarled. "_The entire world is stopping us from meeting him! Let me free! Let me find our mate!_"


	30. Options

_You're Warm_

_Chapter 29: Options_

* * *

He didn't know what to do as he roamed the night with a blank face. The nights duller than what they used to, he shivered slightly as a gust of wind brushed against his cold skin like a ghost mocking him during the chilly nights.

For how long had he roamed the streets?

Truth to be told, he wasn't too sure about it himself as he found himself standing in front of Takuto's home.

Did he have the right to ask where everyone was?  
He didn't want to seem suspicious so he continued to walk aimless through the empty streets.

Natsu adjusted his scarf as he walked into a poorly illuminated park not too far away from Takuto's home. His hands deep within his pockets, he stood under the light post and gazed out to the night sky where he couldn't find that one bright star that he would always marvel about.

To be honest, he really didn't know where or what that star was - Each night he would look out, it would always be there as if it was trying to give him some support in place of his father. A father who would be shaking his head in disappointment to his foolish son.

"I should just be alone forever..." he muttered as he kicked a pebble in front of him into the shadows.

Grumbling to himself for a bit, he felt a pair of eyes watching him where slowly Rogue walked out and stood in front of him. "You should," he said bluntly as he narrowed his eyes at the pinkette.

"If you become single and never get your mate, then you can leave this place and Sakura altogether," he continued as he then stared up to the night sky which didn't seem as bright and beautiful like before.

Rogue looking back to Natsu, he placed on a neutral expression and slid a hand into his pocket. His body straight as he wanted to punch the boy in front of him, he held his anger back since he knew that Sakura wouldn't be pleased if she saw them fighting over something like this. "Because of you, you made her restless and on edge. You dragged everyone into this mess, and now look at them - You should just leave this place so Sakura doesn't have to deal with this anymore," he spat before turning around where he looked over his shoulder.

"I don't see the point of Sakura trying to keep a relationship with you. You're just bringing trouble onto her plate as if she didn't have her own in the first place," he said once more before walking out of the circle of light and into the shadows.

Natsu balling his fists, he squatted where he angrily ran his hands through his pink hair. Rogue was right. He was right. Everyone was right when they told him that he was causing more trouble to the people around him.

Muttering some incoherent words, he looked up to the stars again and frowned when he noted how dark the sky was. The stars were dull, just like his life, and all he wanted was his mate to be in his arms.

Does he really deserve her?  
That question made him stand up abruptly to stare down to his feet in shock. All he could thinking right now was that question which was starting to make his head spin in conflict.

Watching over him in the trees, the crimson watched him with her glowing eyes while chewing her gum slowly. Indeed her friend down there was a stubborn man. What made her even more annoyed was the fact that he was taking his sweet ass time to decide on his emotions when the answer was clearly obvious to the heart.

"Did Rogue not make him realise?" she whispered under her breath as she narrowed her eyes.

Loke, Knight and Drancer forced her to watch over Natsu when she woke up. They told her that time was running out and honestly, she really didn't care at this point.  
If Natsu wanted his life to fall into the depths of the dark and lonely void, then she would indeed welcome him into it - She was already in that dark world so she really didn't mind the free company if he continued his little... Decision.

Blowing a bubble where its pop was carried along with the wind, she kicked her legs over to one side and leaned back slightly to stare up to the moon. It's been a while since she looked up to the night sky, and honestly she hated it.

Like the night sky reflecting the heart belonging to a certain someone, she gritted her teeth and moved her eyes back to her fellow Dragon Slayer. Resting her back against the trunk, she had no other choice but to push him away from this lonely world that she was living in. "Mates are essential for dragons like us, you know?" she quietly stated since she knew that he could hear it during this cold and biting night.

"You actually hold the lives of many innocent yet involved people within the palms of your hands. Did you honestly believe that pushing your mate away from you would save her and many other people?" she questioned as she glanced down to him.

He stood there still as he processed her words. Indeed she was right, but should he really risk Lucy's life when Lisanna's out there?

She took away Igneel's life, and he didn't want another person close to him to lose their life because of him.

"You don't understand Sakura."

She hummed to his statement before staring the back of his head. Her eyes remaining still and narrowed as he met her glowing orbs, she flashed him her toothy smile. "No Natsu. You're the one who's not understanding the situation," she retorted as she popped her bubble of gum.

Pushing her body forward where she went on all fours on the branch, she stretched her back like a cat and yawned. Dropping her body onto the wooden thing, she rested herself on her stomach and played with a strand of her hair.  
Humming to no particular tune as she focused her sole attention on her hair, she suddenly snapped her attention back onto Natsu where he felt his body tense.

Her eyes piercing through his body she chuckled. "It's either you accept your mate and make Lisanna confess her sins, or allow many people to die thanks to the wrath of Lucy's beast and be miserable while she finds a replacement of you in her life. You'll be left with nothing other than Lisanna," she said, presenting his options in an amused tone.

"I'm just here to ask you this... Just what do you want Natsu? A good ending where you get the girl and have a chance to fix all of your mistakes, or a bad ending where you lose everything with Lucy killing everyone without her even knowing where also, you'll be stuck with a delusional woman known as Lisanna who killed our father Igneel?" she questioned once more but this time in a deadly tone that left no space for interruptions.


	31. Answer

_You're Warm_

_Chapter 30: Answer_

* * *

She rolled herself over where she easily landed on her feet. Her eyes still glowing as she walked towards the light, she mysteriously stopped at the edge where she wasn't under the light but just close enough to allow him to completely see her. "Is it really that hard not to protect your mate? She's not weak and neither are we who talk to you..." she asked as she flicked her long hair back.

Her eyes hinting for a challenge as if anticipating for his rebuttal, she clicked her tongue in distaste. "As much as I hate to say this, she indeed managed to take Igneel off-guard when she killed him - Are you actually thinking that she may do the same to us?" she asked.

Hearing no reply, she closed her eyes and took in a deep inhale. "Why how noble you are to your own kind..." she whispered before slowly opening her eyes where he flinched when she narrowed her piercing red eyes to him.  
"I don't hesitate when it comes to fighting against an opponent that are asking for trouble Natsu... You should know that..." She stopped turning and snapped her head over towards a particular bush.

"Like I said, I don't hesitate when it comes to fighting against an opponent that are asking for trouble!" she yelled before avoiding a bullet to the head by bending her body back.

A growl ripping through the silence, she flipped herself over where she landed on all fours like a predator ready to pounce. "I can recognise your scent from the day you shot me at school... Sniper!" she bellowed, pouncing towards the bush where her earrings began to glow.

"Just tell me Natsu... Do you really want to live a life filled with misery?" she whispered before giving out a powerful Fire Dragon's Roar. Looking over shoulder with a painful smile, she stood up and turned to face her relative. "The darkness that I must face everyday... Although both of our pains are different - Do you really think that following Lisanna's orders will solve everything?"

She flicked away another bullet that came flying to her. With another growl coming out of her throat, she spun on her heels and clicked her fingers where roots emerged from underneath the sniper and held him tightly in the air. Her breathing heavy as she looked down to her waist, Drancer appeared beside her. "What is your answer, Natsu Dragneel?" she whispered.

He stood there for a moment and clenched his tightened fists. What was his answer?

"She's not my mate Sakura..."

"You're pathetic Natsu! A mate is something only given to you once in a lifetime - There's nothing to reject when we solely need them to fill our lonely lives! We both need each other to survive!" Sakura bellowed as she snapped her head to look at him in fury.

"Why do you think I stopped my ways when I met Takuto?! Did you think that I accepted him just because I thought of him as a tool to stop my raging beast?!"

Natsu didn't reply. She was right though.

"I..."

"There's no 'I' anymore Natsu! When you were born... When you start realising your feelings... When you finally asked me about mates... That's when the word 'I' became a 'we'," Sakura cried out before her glowing eyes faded back to normal.

"Why are you being so stubborn?" A voice questioned where all three heads turned to find Erza and Gray standing there with disappointment evident on their faces.

Natsu sighed and ran his fingers through his pink hair. He was tired and fed up with all of this drama. All he wanted to do right now was to go home and sleep, then pick up Happy from Lisanna's house - Even though his cat never liked the girl.

"Don't even start..." he groaned.

The scarlet shook her head before folding her arms over her chest. "We're over with the whole acting game Natsu. You made us all hurt her unintentionally... Telling us what she didn't want to associate with us anymore and that her messages to us were just empty words," she said.

Gray nodded his head to Erza's statement. "There's no way that someone that didn't want to talk to us would send us these messages filled with sorrow and pain..." he supported, sighing at the end to show him how bothered he was with those messages sent by a certain blonde.

"You have no idea how afraid we were to see her in that state at the hospital. Heck, we didn't even know what to do..." Erza whispered.

"How Sting and Rogue bolted after her where they left us both behind..."

The pinkette groaned. He wanted to seriously walk away right -

"The crystal is cracking... We need to hurry before the beast within Lucy-san takes over," Drancer suddenly informed.

Sakura widening her eyes, she squeezed her eyes shut tiredly. Giving a long sigh, she messaged her temples before slowly opening her eyes. "I don't want to do this but Drancer... Please bring me back and have Knight come over here. He'll bring Natsu over if he decides to end everything," she instructed where Drancer nodded.

"I'm sorry that I can't take you two with me. If you can, please take that person over there to the police," she then whispered as she headed towards the portal that was being held up my Drancer.

Her eyes glowing, she stretched before looking straight into the gate. "Time to make her beast submit to me before she goes crazy..." she whispered before sitting on Drancer where they headed into the portal.

Once they were in and the gate closed, Knight appeared in his wolf form. "Have you decided?" he asked where Gray and Erza stared at Natsu.

"I'm not going... I'm not going to risk -"

Erza stormed up to him and slapped him across the face. "Natsu! She needs you right now! Sakura may be strong, but she's weaker than all of us emotionally! Are you forgetting about her situation from the past?!" she yelled as her eyes began to well up.

"Don't forget about Lucy! We heard it! She lost her parents Natsu!"

He stood there stunned. The fact that Lucy had lost her parents was something that he happened to push back to the deepest corner of his mind.

As much as he didn't want to recall it, he could remember that very day where she stood there in the rain. The pain and tears in her eyes stabbed him deep within the heart. Even though he was watching, he couldn't do anything to ease the pain - He knew that Lisanna was watching his every movement.

"I think you should go and see her. It may not be my place to speak, but if you very much wish to continue what you're doing... Then you should reject her properly," Knight stated.


	32. Enraged Beings

_You're Warm  
Chapter 31: Enraged Beings_

* * *

In the end, Natsu decided to go after Erza and Gray's constant bugging. They wanted him to go and fix their mistakes, and honestly, he really wanted to apologise to the blonde that he happened to destroy over the past years.

He never wanted to throw water at her when he first saw her again after many years. He was actually happy to see her standing in front of him.  
When he saw her again, he wanted to hug her and ask her why she hasn't been eating properly. He truthfully wanted to question her lifestyle - Was she eating enough? Was she getting enough sleep?

On that very day, what made him annoyed was that, even though Sakura hardly met the blonde, she was already overprotective over her. It's true that she was the one that opened his world about mates, but he wasn't expecting her to lash out at him when he threw water at Lucy.

When he was bullying her in class, he actually wanted to tell them all the opposite - About how smart she was in her subjects. Whenever she was told to stand up to read, he was amazed at how fluent her English was.

What made him agitated but guilty was her answer to Miss Laki's question. If he was hurt and was at the brink of death... Would she plead for him to stay alive?

That day when she was attacked - No. Enough was enough.

He had to reject her or she'll -

Something stirred in his heart. Something in his chest was painfully throbbing as he tried to recollect his thoughts.

He had to re-

"_Do you really want to think of that word again?_" a voice questioned in his mind.

Natsu stopped midway through the magic tunnel that he and Knight were using to get to Sakura and Lucy. His eyes wide as he could hear that familiar voice again, he looked up in confusion with his hands to his ears.

That voice... It couldn't be, he thought as he tried to think of a reason to why he heard Igneel's voice. His father was long gone from the face of Earth, so why did he just hear the old man's voice?

"_I'm only the remnants of who I was... Son, why do you want to separate from the one who you'll truly love?_" Igneel's voice questioned once more where Natsu looked down to his sandals.

His arms dropping limp as he stared down to his ten toes, he couldn't answer the old man. No matter what, he just had to reje-

"_I didn't raise you to reject your fated one, Natsu. Lucy was the one that I saw you walking down the red carpet with - Not with Lisanna. Never have I felt this ashamed..._"

Natsu opened his mouth but no words came out as he tried to answer his father. The old man was ashamed of him, but for what reason?

He was never the one to ask questions, so why were all of these questions swimming around in his head? See? That was another question to all of his questions.

"_Dragons are stronger with their fated other. For you to not want your other - Are you insane? I don't care if Lisanna tries to hunt down you and your friends... There was a reason why I took Sakura under my wing_," Igneel spat in his mind.

"_She is someone that has the same kind of blood as ours. We are dragons. She was someone that you were able to talk to, but you are too stupid to realise her importance to our family and magic._"

That's when Natsu began to walk. His head still down, he glanced to the side to see Knight carefully analyzing him. "Who are you to Sakura?" he asked.

The wolf lowered his ears to his head and growled. Slowly opening his mouth, words began to flow out. "You do not need to know about my relationship with Sakura," he snarled.  
"You lost the chance to know everything about us wolves. You were too foolish to see everything in front of you."

"_That wolf is right. You lost the chance to know more about your family. You were too blinded to see everything in front of you - The truth was there, but you looked to the other direction_."

The end nearing as Knight began to walk faster, Natsu looked up. With a blink of an eye, he widened his eyes when he saw Lucy screaming bloody murder as Sakura growled out loud with her eyes glowing brightly in frustration.

"Loke! Put a towel in her mouth!" Sakura bellowed as she used vines to hold back the flailing blonde that managed to break half of the upper half of the crystal.

Loke snapping his head to the crimson, he looked at her in horror. "I know that I should be all loyal and listen to you but does it look like I'm willing to lose a hand?!" he cried out in mock desperation where Sakura glared at him with narrowed eyes that were in slits.

"Does it look like I'm joking right now?!" she yelled where Lucy screamed once more as her skeleton wings struggled to break through her skin.

Sakura gritting her teeth, she forced herself to grow more vines. "I'm so sorry Lucy... But I need to stop you from getting taken over!" she cried, controlling the newly sprouted vines over her wings that were struggling to free themselves.

Tightening her vines around Lucy's back, the blonde screamed even more with her eyes closed. It's been ten minutes since Lucy's beast tried to free itself from its master's body. Ten painful minutes of Lucy screaming with her trying to restrict her movements. All of those animal-like screams and wails were painful for a beast like her.

If any beast had the same fate as them... Then they too would understand the pain and want for their fated other.

"Alpha!" Knight yelled.

Sakura turning her head to meet eyes with Natsu's, she gave out a sigh of relief before noticing the guilt in his eyes. Widening her own as Loke managed to place a towel in between Lucy's teeth, she tiredly dropped onto her knees with horror on her face. "You cannot be..." she whispered as tears rolled from her eyes and down her cheeks.

After all of these years, she finally saw the heart of Natsu Dragneel. She finally saw the true face of her cousin... "After everything that I told you too..." she whispered once more before she stared at him with empty eyes.

Without her noticing that her vines and roots were ripped apart by Lucy's strength, she remained on her knees as roots shot up from the ground where it pierced through her body. Being held up in the air as the complex root system held her there, she felt the tingling sensation throughout her entire body where she sadly smiled. "A perfect, slow-death punishment for a failing mentor like myself," she chuckled to herself before coughing out blood.

She could taste her metallic plasma in her mouth as a thin stream rippled through her trembling lips.  
The roots of Atropa Belladonna are the most toxic parts of the plant. With its poison flowing through her veins, all she could do now was stay there limp like a rag doll tangled high in the air.

"Sakura!" Natsu bellowed as he ran forward where whipping roots stopped him from approaching. Loke and Lucy's spirits all backing away as Knight and Drancer growled out loud with their eyes glowing, their eyes all watched as the roots containing Sakura rose higher to the air.

Lucy's magic breaking the remaining crystal, she remained levitating with tears still rolling. With one final whimper, Belladonna emerged from behind her back in her skull form where Sakura's beast emerged as well.

"Where's my mate?!" Belladonna screeched where Sakura's beast snarled at her before giving out a rumbling roar.

"How dare you poison my tamer!" the crimson dragon bellowed with glowing eyes.  
"What type of beast dares to poison those that are trying to help?!"

Sakura's dragon beast snarling as she was about to tackle Belladonna, Sakura hissed. "Stand down. This is no longer our fight," she weakly scolded.

Her dragon wanting to disobey her command, Sakura narrowed her eyes as she tried to pace her breathing. "The thing wants her mate. Her mate is there... This is no longer our control..." she groaned as she tried to focus her eyes on Natsu that was staring at her with a pale face.

Listening to her command, Sakura's beast went back into rest as Sakura winced to the poison making its way to her head. This was going to be a long, long day, she thought before closing her eyes.  
She felt her heart slowly struggling to pulse as she heard the final call come from Natsu's mouth. Her mind getting fuzzy, she let the rest of fate do its job as Knight and Drancer shifted into their human form.

"Sakura!"


	33. Crasher

_You're Warm  
Chapter 32: Crasher_

* * *

Natsu and Sakura's wolves were about to move when suddenly Loke stopped them with his outstretched arms. "I know this may sounds crazy, but you don't want to move Sakura around with her body being like that," he suggested as he glanced over his shoulder to see Belladonna staring at Sakura like a prey.

The pink-haired boy unable to say something as he stared at Belladonna's enraged form, he felt something inside of him stir once again where he placed his hand over his heart. "Then what do you want me to do? Watch her die?" he snarled where Knight and Drancer growled threateningly.

"You don't need to do anything. You came here for a purpose different from ours," Drancer stated in poison where his partner nodded his head.

"We serve our Alpha, and what she is to you is nothing to us when she's under threat. You deal with what you intended to do in the first place," Knight spat before nodding his head to Loke.

The spirit sighing and nodded his head in return, he told the two knights to be careful when cutting the roots. "Make clean cuts. Do not move the roots around... That's what the spirits are telling me to tell you two," he instructed where Drancer scoffed.

"Don't look down on someone who fights alongside with knowledge. I serve my Alpha who respects my capabilities in healing," the white-dressed knight retorted before both knights drew out their swords.

In sync, they bolted towards Sakura. With fancy flips and swerves, they easily sliced the roots away from their master's body where they quickly retreated to a safe distance between Belladonna and Lucy.

Natsu standing there, his heart began to beat erratically. Something wanted to be free, and the feeling was unbearable as he listened to Belladonna's cries and wails.

"Where is my mate?!"

I'm right here, he thought.

"Why can't I find him?!"

I don't know why you can't find me when I'm right here...

"Does he not love me?!"

Those questions stabbed his heart, but he had to remain strong to protect her. He really does love her... So much that she wouldn't understand how much he wanted to hold her close to him.

He stood there silently as Loke looked back and forth between the two. "So you guys really are mates..." he whispered before shaking his head to the unhappy past that Natsu gave to his master.  
The spirit turning his attention to the other two spirits, he watched as Knight carefully cradled Sakura while Drancer was examining her wounds in which he would flinch every so often.

"She really wanted to grow up alongside with you," Loke stated as he turned his attention back to Natsu where suddenly, Belladonna gave out one more pleading wail.

The floor rumbling as she tried to reach out to her mate, she slowly turned her eyes to look down to Natsu. "I can fell him... I can sense him from you..." she whispered as she slowly lowered her head to his direction before stopping.

Eyes narrowed as he stared at him, she tipped her head to the side. "Why can't I look into your heart?" she whispered once more before closing her eyes.

"Natsu..." she recalled, remembering the name that she despises from the bottom of her heart but yet yearned for.

Tipping her head to the side, she opened her eyes right away when she saw a flickering flame appear in her mind where she moved back a bit before looking at Natsu in confusion. "You... What are you to Lucy Heartfilia?" she questioned.

Natsu stood there still as he listened to his own heart beat erratically. What was he to her really?

A mate, was what he wanted to answer, but he had to end it all now before it was all too late. Opening his mouth to say something, something within him stirred again where suddenly a gate opened up to reveal the Witch of the West, Lisanna.

"Natsu... What's going on around here?" Lisanna asked in fake tone as she walked towards him with her beast following closely behind her.

With long strides, she wrapped her arms around his waist and placed the side of her head on his chest. A suspicious smile on her face as she smugly looked at Belladonna, she pouted her glossed lips before she spoke in a high, arrogant tone. "I thought that we were supposed to meeting up tonight to talk about our date? Why are you here and not at my place?"

Belladonna snarled. It seemed like Lisanna was mocking her from the tone that she speaking with. "Are you here to stop me from reaching my mate?" she questioned as she narrowed her eyes.

Lisanna began to laugh. "Oh please sweetie... Natsu is my mate," she replied before stopping her laugh to smirk over towards Belladonna's direction before moving her eyes to look at Lucy.

"He is my mate... Hands off," she stated once more, but this time in a low and threatening voice.

"He isn't your mate until he accepts you as one by heart and soul," Sakura informed.

Heads turning to Sakura who was still within Knight's carry, the crimson narrowed her glowing red eyes. "You cannot stake a claim on someone unless you are accepted. He is not yours you imitating freak."

The girl in shorts began to chuckle. Raising her hands to place them either side of her his jawline, she stared in Natsu's eyes with a smirk. "Let me show yo-"

"Stop her from doing anything with him!" Sakura commanded.

It was too late when Belladonna's eyes witnessed it all in front of her. In a black void, she saw two things in front of her.

In front of her, stood two people kissing.

In front of her were two beasts kissing.

In front of her, her mate was kissing someone other than her.

She couldn't speak or do anything as she watched Natsu push Lisanna away from him where Lisanna giggled and hugged him close. "See? He is my mate and not yours," Lisanna chuckled.

Belladonna stayed still as Knight and Drancer quickly retreated. "How... Dare... You... Kiss... My... Mate!" she screeched where roots emerged from the floor where it crumbled the floor.

Lisanna grabbing onto Natsu's clothes, she squealed as she clung onto him as much as she could. She was stupid to mock her while on foreign grounds!

Lucy's beast wanting nothing more to kill everyone in front of her, she glared at Loke who was trying to reach Lucy while she was distracted. Stopping him from getting anywhere close to her master, she screeched once more before smacking him away where he collided into a large slab of concrete.

"I'm going to kill you all! How dare you all do this to me?!" she bellowed.


	34. Unite

_You're Warm  
Chapter 33: Unite_

* * *

"It's too dangerous to remain on ground," Sakura whispered where her knights looked at her. The crimson still being cradled as they all jumped into the air, they levitated with their eyes locked onto the crumbling floor below their feet.

"I seriously don't want to risk my life, but if Lucy's in danger then I have to act."

With a strained groan coming out of her lips, Sakura forced her body to use magic. Her eyes glowing as she created a large, sturdy ice floor which caught pretty much everything, she sighed in relief when she noticed Lucy uninjured before fainting in Knight's arm.  
Sweat covering her body from pushing her body to her very limit, she hoped that everything will be back to normal when she opens her eyes again.

Both knights watching everything from above, they narrowed their eyes on Belladonna who was breathing heavily below. Their eyes watching every single detail from body movements to the very tense of a muscle, they remained calm as they observed the confrontation.

It wasn't there battle but they knew very well what their master expected them to do while she's out like a light.

"How dare you kiss him! He's not yours!" Belladonna wailed as she swung her scythe towards Lisanna.

Expecting a satisfying show of blood splattering everywhere, she felt her blood boil when she couldn't withdraw her scythe. In front of her, but in between both girls, Natsu stood there with his hands holding the blade.

His arms slightly shaking from the amount of force she's using to pull back her blade, he grew determined to prevent any bloodshed from happening.

"Stop it!" he yelled as Belladonna forcefully tried to pull back her blade. For some reason, he was much stronger than what she expected until she finally realised how his strength managed to rival with hers.

Lucy's beast staring into his eyes, she saw the one that she wanted to reach out to, but then noticed something. That one that she yearned for was in the same position as its master, meaning that it's providing that unexpected strength to its master that happened to equal with hers.

"You want to protect her?" Belladonna whispered, her voice slightly weak where both wolves growled.

There was no reply and Belladonna felt her heart shattering even more as her strength on the blade slowly decreased. Her body moving away slowly, she slowly sank to the ground in defeat. "Everything they've said... It was right - They're right..." she whispered.

Looking down to her hands, she narrowed her eyes and imagined the crimson blood all over them. She was indeed unworthy...

"Of course no one wants me... What was I thinking by obtaining my mate through force?" Belladonna asked herself before slowly lifting her head to look at Lisanna. Her body unable to withstand the heartbreak, she gritted her teeth before realising the tears that were falling.

She was no longer that terrifying beast that belonged to Lucy Heartfilia. In front of everyone knelt a young woman with long purple hair. Heartbroken she looked with dull eyes and a very pale body.

In front of everyone's else, there knelt a woman that looked weak and fragile. As if a single touch could make her crumble to the ground, she stayed there staring at her wet fingertips.

"Why did I even bother? Why couldn't I just accept the truth and find someone else that would want me?" she whispered weakly before slowly rising where she swayed a bit.

Sadly smiling to Natsu, she could see the beast within him staring at her with pained eyes, "It's not your fault. It's my fault for being a murderer and a faulty thing."

The girl looked over to her master and took a step towards her where a voice told her to stop. Slowly looking over her shoulder to see Natsu looking at her with an indescribable expression, she frowned deeply. "There's no need to feel guilty. I just thought... That maybe someone out there would accept me as who I am. Of course no one wants someone like me - I have nothing to give..." she reasoned before turning her attention back to her master.

Belladonna wanted nothing other than to seal herself back into a seed and never sprout again. Originally, she was how she was right now, a beautiful blooming plant that had a human form.

Each passing day, she watched as her master's pride and emotions crumble, making her hallow and weak - Each passing day, Belladonna allowed the darkness to consume her - A beautiful plant that was poisonous became poisonous all over where it became an unstable monster.

She stopped in front of Lucy and slowly reached out to her cheek where she faltered. Not wanting to poison her own master, she dropped her arm and looked down to the icy ground. "Just what am I even?" she whispered where Natsu watched her in conflict.

He could feel something inside of him moving around. It was like it wanted to reach out to her.

Perhaps that thing inside of him was something like Sakura's. It seemed to be the case when his body wanted to bow his head to the crimson dragon that he saw.

"_You're indeed foolish! She's crying because of us! Are you really rejecting her?_" the voice inside of his head questioned.

"_We're able to fight against Lisanna - Sakura isn't weak. Everyone is strong... We can focus on our mate and make her happy while protecting her..._"

Natsu stood there. He didn't know what to do when he saw the vines slowly covering Belladonna's body.

"_She's never going to wake up. She's not going to recognise us as her mate - She will forget about us! She might find someone else to fill in that void that we're supposed to fill!_" the voice boomed where something within the pinkette's body snapped.

"_If you don't want her! Then let me embrace her for the first and final time before she leaves us without knowing our embrace!_"

A large red dragon appearing in between Natsu and Belladonna, it lowly growled where Belladonna jumped with Lucy slowly waking up. Both girls staring into the dragon's onyx eyes, they felt peace and the world slowly stopping.


	35. Reality

_You're Warm  
Chapter 34: Reality _

* * *

She felt completely in sync with her beast for the first time. Their hearts beating in sync, she could feel their minds merging together as she slowly lifted her hand to reach out to the dragon in front of her.

His eyes... They held so many emotions. Like an open book that she would always spend majority of her time reading, she felt his eyes held every piece of information she needed. Something that she never knew about her beloved beast that happened to steal her heart within seconds of eye contact.

She gasped when he lowered his head, allowing her to touch his cheek to which she tensed. The beast in front of her wanted her too, its eyes held love, happiness, but most of all regret and pain. It knew that its master was being stubborn, but it wasn't going to let his actions completely lose her love for them both.

"You're so beautiful..." Lucy whispered as she felt their connection. Their eyes staring into one another, she felt her tears filling up her eyes.

It pained her to know that Natsu didn't want her. It killed her beast to know that he didn't want her as well.

He didn't want a murderer. He wouldn't want a damaged thing where he had a beautiful girl standing behind him.

"I'm glad that we're able to meet you finally," she whispered once more as she let the tears fall. Her ears and mind ignoring the low whimpers from the dragon, she rubbed his sharp cheek with her thumb lovingly. She was honestly thankful that she was able to meet the beast that was supposed to fated with her own.

Natsu's beast was a majestic creature. His beast emitted a powerful aura, and her beast felt protected to have it so near to her presence.

Slowly blinking her eyes where her tears touched the ground, the remnants of the crystal shattered where she fell. Her tears creating a large puddle with her in the middle, she lifted her head and sadly smiled to the dragon staring at her with pained eyes. Looking away, she removed her hand from his cheek where Belladonna vanished.

"I guess this is goodbye," she said to herself, not knowing that Natsu was looking at her.

The boy wanted nothing but to embrace her, but he couldn't. Hearing a snicker behind him, he turned to only find Lisanna snickering to Lucy's despair. Her arms wrapping around his body, she coiled herself like a snake holding its prey.  
Her lips near his cheek, she was about to kiss him where suddenly Lucy snapped her head up with a threatening glare where Belladonna emerged from her body once again, but this time in her human form.

"You will not touch him when I'm still around!" she bellowed, coming towards the woman with a dagger made out roots in her hand.

Swiping the air, she gritted her teeth when Lisanna pulled back and grinned. "He's not yours. He rejected you," she spat, watching Belladonna widen her eyes in anger to which she lunged forward.

"His dragon wants me! He wants me! You cannot take him away from when I'm still here!" she yelled, jumping towards the white-haired female where her beast came in between, flicking her back into a boulder. Growling, she was about to run towards Lisanna and her beast until suddenly, she felt her connection with Lucy hold her back.

Belladonna's head snapping to look at Lucy, she tensed when she saw how hard Lucy was trying to hold her back with tears in her eyes. "Please stop... It won't change his mind if we were to hurt her..." she pleaded, making Belladonna drop her arm to look at her master in disbelief.

It pained them both to know the truth.

"Lucy... I..." Natsu stopped himself, but his heart was throbbing in pain as he watched the puddle around Lucy grow bigger which began to flow through the cracks.

Did he really want this? His eyes looking at the large dragon that apparently belonged to him, he could see how much it killed his dragon to watch her tears fall.

If he really did leave her to protect her, would Lisanna really back away from her? Would she really be safe?

She could never be his. Once he leaves her, he will never have her in his arms again like in the past. The past that he cherished so much - Those loving and happy memories of them spending their time together with the others.

She will never smile to him ever again...

"Are you really going to give up on him? Find another man that will love us unconditionally?" Belladonna whispered, slowly walking back to Lucy where she dropped her dagger. Dropping to her knees in front of her master, she placed both hands on Lucy's shoulders and gently shook her as if pleading.

"Another man will never love us like our mate... Can we smile like we have when we're with our mate?" she questioned, asking her questions like a child learning that she was the cause of her parent's death without knowing anything.

He gritted his teeth, and his dragon grumbled. Indeed they didn't like to hear such things. Could he really give her up?

Lucy slowly standing up, she looked at him with tears. Walking over to him, she pulled him into a hug where she struggled to let go of him when she felt him return the embrace. Snuggling into his neck, she sniffled before forcing herself to pull away where she felt him refuse to let her go.

"We... We should go," she quietly said where she felt him shake his head.

"If I let you go, then you'll vanish from me again," he said to her ear. Listening to her sigh, they pulled away a bit where they were staring into each others pain-stricken eyes.

"It has to be... I don't think I'll ever have the heart to face you again. This will be our goodbye," she replied.

Him not liking that he may never see her again, he glanced at his dragon. He knew what his dragon was trying to tell him. If they were to completely reject her, they'll never see her again, and if they were suddenly to meet each other again, then she'll be smiling to another man while holding their hand - They would ignore him since their connection with each other would be gone.

He wanted to follow his heart, but he couldn't. Not when she's in danger.

"I-I love you..."

Widening his eyes, he pulled away even further to see her tears now falling again. His head throbbing. His heart aching. His soul yearning to wipe away those tears. He clenched his teeth and pulled her to his chest where he squeezed his eyes shut.

He could hear Lisanna breathing heavily. She wasn't liking what she was seeing, but he didn't have the heart to reject the bond that he has with the girl within his arms.

Leaning forward where his lips touched the crown of his beautiful girl's head, he lifted his lips and smiled to her when she looked up to him in confusion. "I can never win against you," he confessed.

Those three words that she confessed to him made his heart swell up in pride. The girl that he purposely bullied still loved him to this day. That truly did mean that they were meant to be.

If Lisanna really intended to harm her, then he should be by Lucy's side to protect her. It was normal for them to sleep together in the past - He could stay over any time to protect her, and like Sakura said, she was strong enough to protect herself.

Lucy was indeed the person he needed to be with to live his life to the fullest. When she's around, everything that bothered him in his mind always vanished, leaving him in peace.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore," he whispered, lowering his lips to met hers where he ignored Lisanna's scream in anger.

Pulling away where he looked up to Sakura that was weakly smiling down to him, he nodded his head where she returned the gesture. Listening to her command Knight to open up a portal, he looked at the open portal and quickly pulled Lucy with him as they approached it.

His mind knowing that Sakura would deal with Lisanna, he entered the portal hand in hand with Lucy's where he pulled her close. "I won't lie to myself anymore... I can't stand it when I see that you're crying over someone like me..." he confessed, ignoring Lisanna calling out his name to which Sakura's voice boomed.

He knew that Sakura's short rest was enough to push her dominance over Lisanna. He knew that Lisanna would be given another chance to redeem her life by the crimson.  
He knew that Sakura would command Lisanna and her beast to stay away from them. If Lisanna dares to disobey Sakura's command, then he'll do everything he can to protect the girl that was staring to the side of his face in utter confusion.

"You're not going to leave me?" she asked in a hushed voice, too afraid to confirm it with him as she walked closely.

Enjoying his body warmth wrap itself around her, she lowered her gaze to the ground as he added pressure to her hand. "I can't push you away... I wanted to protect you from getting hurt, but I don't want to see you with someone else other than me..." he said.

"Everyone called me stupid. Hey Luce... Am I really stupid?" he then asked where she widened her eyes.

Looking up to him with her honey-brown eyes, she softly smiled and chuckled. "I think so. I mean, you made me suffer a lot since you wouldn't even tell me the reason why you treated me so horribly..." she answered.

Her eyes looking to the bright light in front of them, she bit the bottom of her lips. "Can you really explain to me why later?" she questioned.

Natsu hummed. "I'm sorry... I'll tell you everything when we get home."


	36. Everything

_You're Warm  
_

_Chapter 35: Everything_

* * *

In his mind, nothing was scarier than having to hear someone that was once close to him planning the deaths of the people that he held very close to his heart. The fact that she never gave him the time and place of when her plan was going to get carried out, he hated the calls that he would receive when he learned about their deaths.

That time when his father died devastated him and his very small family. He had no one to look after him than his relative, Sakura, who was still unstable and unwanted from others - She however, had her own life and couldn't remain by his side forever - Lessons had time, and her lessons for him ended after she learned about the truth.

Lisanna was never... Insane when she was younger. She was passionate, loving and accepting. She would never hate her extended family of non-existent blood bonds, and she would never think about anything corrupted such as causing death.

Because of Lisanna, he had to destroy many of his bonds - Bonds that he valued deep in his heart such as the one with Lucy and Sakura. Being taught at a young age that family and friends were important assets to an individual, he was forced to ignore these precious relationships when she finally snapped into her insane actions.

There, he stood behind Lucy who was standing in front of her parent's graves. The rain pelting down, he remembered the day when he was secretly watching her from the tree. The day that he was unable to visit her after hearing about her parent's death.

"Ne, Natsu... My parents - They were killed by her, weren't they?" Lucy whispered, looking down to her parents where she slightly shivered to the cold that was making their way into her skin. Rubbing her arm, she looked up and over her shoulder when she felt his warm hand hold hers. With a saddened, yet forced smile, she sighed when he slowly nodded his head.

Perhaps the world was against her.

"She did mention it once but I thought that she was joking until it actually happened. She then began threatening me with you..." he reasoned, tightening his hold where she slowly moved to face him with a grim expression.

He knew that the girl in front of him was a caring and forgiving person that grew up with both parental love. He knew that even though she was forgiving, his actions were going to be hard for her to forgive and forget.

The distant rumbling of thunder in the distance echoing into their ears, they remained quiet as they gazed at the graves that Lucy couldn't handle to stand close to. Her breathing shallow where her keys began to shine and clatter, she nibbled on the bottom of her lips as she placed a hand over them to reassure her spirits that she was fine.

"I just wanted to protect you guys... She makes everything possible," Natsu continued.

Lucy didn't say anything as tears began to fall. She knew how much Natsu cherished her when they were younger but his actions to protect her were completely hurtful - He never told her anything regarding to her health and safety.

"I was so hurt when you called me names. You sounded like you meant it, and it killed me inside and out when you treated me like an insect..." she whispered, wanting to pull her hand away from his where the beast within her growled.

The beast inside of her felt used. Belladonna was a beast of poison, but all she wanted was to be loved by her fated on and be useful when it came to protecting him - He gave her hope when they were younger - That they were together. Instead, she was thrown away without knowing the reason, putting her into complete outrage when it was time to be accepted by her other half.

"I didn't mean to call you names but Lisanna having her spies all over the school and all, I needed to show her that I was following her orders..." he replied, pulling her into an embrace when he noticed her shivering from the cold.

"Calling you names killed me. Tricking Erza and Gray was horrible and having to push you away was destroying... I needed to protect you all," he continued, snuggling into her.

"You could've told us all. We could've helped you. Lisanna is only one person and together we're able to stop her," Lucy croaked.

What kind of friends would they be if they weren't there to help him? They were supposed to be together fighting against all sorts of evil to maintain the balance of this newly magic-introduced world of theirs - Friends don't hide secrets if they involved danger.

No matter what reason Natsu had to give her, lying to them wasn't the right way to do things right. The amount of pain she suffered. The neglect after her parents died... The pain and damaged was done, and he still wanted to protect her by bullying and harassing her even though he could've told her the truth.

"Sakura told me that... I pretended to act innocent even though she knew the truth," he said where Lucy pushed them away lightly in shock. He simply nodded before looking over her parent's grave.

"She's strong, sure. She's been a lot, sure. Although she's strong..."

Lucy finished the sentence for him. "She's still weak inside of her." He only nodded once more before looking to her with conflicted eyes.

"To kill her and to destroy her, all you have to do was threaten her with her mate and then torture him in front of her. Killing her means making her return to her rebellious stage and then taking her by surprise - Strong, but weak at the same time," he explained to which he pulled her back to him.

"Lisanna knew that my main weakness was you. She knew how fond I was with you and I guess she grew jealous," he continued, kissing the crown of her head.

"I don't want to see you in that crystal ever again. I don't want to see the both of you like that."

The girl remained quiet. "I could protect myself."

"You were weak and unstable to use your magic... You couldn't summon your spirits remember?" he said, trying to reason with her that Lisanna could attack any time while her guard was down.

As she opened her mouth, he knew what she was going to say. "Sakura couldn't be there all the time, and Erza and Gray weren't by your sides after you came to our school - You couldn't trust so I had no other choice but to protect you from the shadows," he interrupted.

When she closed her mouth, he sadly smiled. "I know that what I did was stupid - Heck, I'm still stupid but I don't want you to get hurt when I love you so damn much," he confessed.

Lucy froze in her spot. That was the second time.

"Sakura knew but remained quiet. She wanted me to learn it for myself. The others knew that I had feelings but thought that I was bullying you to throw them away. They thought that I was being in denial - Maybe that part is true but anyways, I still had feelings for you even while you were unstable," he continued, tightening their hug so he could feel her warmth returning.

"Igneel wanted to see you. I know that he knew how much I adored you when we were younger, hence him often teasing us about getting married in the future..."

With a whisper, she talked in a hush tone to his ear. "Do you really mean that?"

She felt him nod his head where suddenly the rain stopped, making them look up to see a large ice cave form above them. Their ears catching the rustling of the wet grass, they turned to see a certain scarlet and raven standing in front of them with soft smiles on their faces.

"We all love you Lucy, but not as much as Natsu does..." Erza muttered where she and Gray opened their arms into inviting hugs.

A smile forming on her face, Lucy looked up to Natsu who kissed her cheek and nodded. Her face brightening where she grabbed Natsu's hand, she pulled him along with her as they ran over to their two childhood friends and into their arms.

The four of them hugging in a closed circle, they began to laugh, happy that the threat was no more for them to worry about.

As they all hugged near the Heartfilia's graves, they didn't notice how there were four pairs of eyes watching them. Three pairs of eyes from the clouds with another pair from the distant trees, they watched quietly as the rain began to cease.

In this cruel and punishing world, guardian angels exists to protect those they love. With three hidden from human eyesight, the other watched with a soft smile on her face as she slowly rose from her branch. "Aren't you glad that they're all safe and protected from harsh dangers of the fragile human mind?" the crimson asked as she gazed up to the clouds that hid the three in the skies.

A breeze brushing by, she looked down to the base of the tree and saw her wolves waiting. "I guess this ends the story of Natsu and Lucy's love story... They finally accepted each other as mates - The love of Natsu Dragneel and his desperate passion to protect his mate Lucy Heartfilia who realised her love for him but needs time to accept the story given..." she began, jumping down from her hiding place where she landed in between her wolves.

"I guess, it's time for me to go and find my own happiness," she whispered before looking over her shoulder.

"I wish you all happiness... I will protect you all forever in Igneel's place," she soft said, disappearing when her wolves howled to the moon.

The four friends hearing the howl right after the whisper that wished for their happiness, they turned to the direction of the sound where without Erza and Gray noticing, Natsu kissed Lucy once more but on the lips.

"I'll protect you the right way from now on..." he promised where Lucy blushed.

"I... I can't return your words right now but hopefully I will soon..." she promised, kissing him on his cheek quickly before hiding her face.

A few weeks later, Lucy and Natsu found out from Takuto that Sakura had disappeared. A few days after hearing about the sudden news of her disappearance, a letter was sent to Natsu's home where it was a photo of her with Sting and Rogue with scribbled words telling them all not to worry about her.

Ever since her letter, Takuto began to travel in order to find his mate.

Lisanna vanished after Natsu and Lucy left her with Sakura in the other world. With nothing left for the group to get worried about, they returned to school where they now representing the school as a powerful group of friends that fought to maintain their school's reputation.

Thanks to a personal letter written by Sakura, Lucy managed to train where she was able to fight alongside with her spirits again without getting weak. With Natsu, Gray and Erza's assistance, she was able to summon two spirits without breaking a sweat as they guided her into becoming efficient and precise on when to use magic and strength.

Natsu once thought that he would never live his life with the woman he loved. Ever since the problem was resolved, Natsu and Lucy were taking it slow with their relationship, bringing it back to stable relationship it was like how it was when they were younger.

With time and guardian angels watching over them, history will never repeat.


End file.
